After a House Fire: What to Do
Once the fire department clears you to re-enter, do not enter unless the structure is declared safe. Call your insurance carrier and a fire damage restoration company. Don't try to clean soot yourself — it sets permanently with improper cleaning. Emergency board-up and water mitigation should happen within hours.
Or call (773) 389-7455 for immediate helpStep-by-step
- 1
Confirm the structure is safe
Only re-enter when the fire department or a structural engineer says it's safe.
- 2
Call your insurance carrier
Open the claim and get authorization for emergency services.
- 3
Get the property boarded and tarped
Open windows, doors, and roof must be secured 24/7 to stop further damage.
- 4
Begin water mitigation
Firefighting water must be extracted and the structure dried before mold sets in.
- 5
Inventory contents
Photograph and list damaged items before they're moved or discarded.
- 6
Begin restoration
Soot, smoke odor, and structural rebuild happen in coordinated phases.
Safety considerations
- Soot is hazardous — don't sleep in the property until air-quality testing confirms safety.
- Don't run HVAC after a fire until ducts are inspected and cleaned.
- Discard food and medication that was exposed to heat or smoke.
Insurance & process notes
Fire is a standard covered peril. Your policy typically covers loss of use (temporary housing) in addition to structure and contents. Save all receipts.
When to call immediately
- The property has broken openings, roof damage, or firefighting water that is still standing or spreading
- Smoke odor is present far beyond the room of origin or multiple levels of the property are affected
- You need board-up, contents inventory, temporary housing coordination, and insurance documentation immediately
Mistakes to avoid
- Trying to clean soot with household products or dry cloths, which can permanently smear and etch surfaces
- Leaving the property unsealed overnight after the fire is out, which exposes it to theft, weather, and further damage
- Throwing away contents before inventory and pack-out decisions are documented for insurance
Chicagoland context
After-fire response in Chicagoland has an added urgency in cold or stormy weather because a property left open deteriorates quickly. Fire claims also become mixed losses fast when smoke, soot, firefighting water, and emergency stabilization all need to happen at once.