The Do’s And Don’ts Of Fire Damage Cleanup

When your property in Boston, MA is damaged by a fire, you need a team that will act quickly to protect your property and begin work right away to return your home to its pre-loss state. At Bostonian Cleaning, our cleanup specialists know how devastating fire damage is, and we know that most people who experience this most unfortunate disaster are not prepared for it and don’t know how to respond. We want to be sure that we can be there to help the situation as soon as possible and help prepare homeowners so they know what course of action to take to provide the best possible outcome from a horrible situation. 

Fire Damage Cleanup In Boston, MA

Our fire damage cleanup experts want to share a list of things you should and should not do following a fire so we can help you be prepared. 

DO’S

• Have a fire escape plan for your home. Getting everyone out of the house is the number one priority when a fire starts, and without a practiced escape plan in place, this step will be much more difficult. All members of the household should know the escape plan for each room, and each room should have two designated exit routes. Then, establish a safe meeting place outside of the home so that all members of the household know where to meet.  As soon as the alarms alert you of a fire, follow the fire escape plan so that everyone can be evacuated quickly and safely.
• Have at least one accessible fire extinguisher. If the fire is small and contained in one area, use the extinguisher to attempt to put it out. However, do not spend too much time attempting to put out a fire that is resisting (see Don’t section for more direction). 
• Stay below the smoke level while evacuating. The chemical make-up of smoke can cause serious damage to the brain and lungs. Smoke will kill you before the fire does if too much is inhaled, so stay low and attempt to cover your nose and mouth to filter out smoke.
• Initiate a quick response by alerting emergency response personnel (firefighters) first, and then call Total Restoration so that we can begin mitigating damage as soon as the flames are out.
• Let firefighters know the origin of the fire if you have that information, and how many family members are still in the house if everyone has not made it to the designated meeting spot. This will help drastically increase the odds of getting the fire out quickly and locating family members in time to get them out safely.

DON’TS 

• Do not attempt to put out small fires by yourself if the flames are not responding to your efforts. Even small fires can grow very quickly, and will easily get out of hand. Do not waste valuable escape time trying to unsuccessfully extinguish a fire on your own; evacuate immediately. 
• Do not enter a burning home under any circumstances. Even after the flames have been extinguished, you should not re-enter the building until a fire damage cleanup professional has deemed it safe to do so. Fires cause a lot of destruction, and the integrity of the home will more than likely be compromised, making entry unsafe. Gas leaks, smoke in the air, and electrical circuit malfunctions are all potential risks that come with fires, so extreme caution should be used before going back inside.
• Do not try to clean, wipe, or remove any fire or smoke residue from your home on your own. Fire damage cleanup and repair requires specific processes that are completely unique to fire damage. Trying to clean and repair fire damage on your own can actually lead to more damage, so by calling Bostonian Cleaning and Restoration to handle your fire damage cleanup, you ensure that no detail is overlooked, and every issue is safely addressed.