After a house fire, there’s a list of things one must do and there’s a list of things one must NOT do. But beyond the official must-dos and must-don’ts, there’s a void where despair thrives. And the questions range from whether you will ever be able to put this tragedy behind you and how will you manage today to how to control the emotional part and manage to rebuild your life.
Some fires are big and call for complete home restoration. Some fires are contained quickly and so damage is limited too. Either way, along with the disaster the flames and smoke leave behind, there’s also water damage. That’s one more battle to fight and it’s equally disastrous as fire. So, even if you recover from fire, you have to see how you can recover from the damage the firefighters left behind.
The truth is that not all cases are the same. The extent of tragedy always depends on the family, the expansion of fire, the nature of the damage, the location, et cetera.
What comes after a fire?
Once the obvious is done – that’s finding a fire damage restoration company, talking to your insurance company, checking the list of damages, and making sure everyone in your family is alright, the countdown of tasks begins. It’s highly likely that you must get new documents if they were destroyed in the fire – birth certificates, credit cards, drivers’ licenses, titles to deeds, social security cards, et cetera.
You also need to talk to a fire and water damage restoration team and your insurance agent to see what must be done, get an estimate of the damage and the repair services needed. You may also need to talk to utility providers and tell them about the fire. So, what comes after a fire is a long process of doing things, talking to various people, and suffering a lot of “headaches.”
What NOT to do after a fire?
Your life is at stake even after the fire is put out. That’s due to smoke. That’s due to soot too. Also, because some parts of the house may not be stable and columns or beams may easily collapse. So, one of the things you should NOT do is go back into your home unless the authorities give you the green light. It’s also important that when you enter the home you don’t turn on the gas, water supply, or electricity because it may not be safe yet. It’s also vital that you don’t try to cope with soot and smoke damage alone, but leave a professional fire damage repair company to take over instead.
How to cope with a house fire?
The emotional state is bad, even if the fire was swiftly contained and the damage limited – let alone if you suffer great losses. The children see their world, which they considered safe, collapse. The parents see the haven they have worked so hard for years to build disappear. The recommended steps in these situations are to try to find your old life.
• Do things with your family – preferably things you all loved doing together before the incident.
• Try to remind yourself that you pulled through and things can get rebuilt, no matter how hard this is.
• Reach out to old friends and family, and never hesitate to ask for their support and help.
• Talk about other things and find some moments to do things you loved doing alone.
• Try to think in a positive way and be practical when it comes to the incident and how to cope with that. In other words, make an effort to leave emotions out and see which is the best way to rebuild your life fast – by talking to your insurance agent, support groups, fire restoration company, et cetera.
In moments like these and when emotions rule your world and you want nothing but to get down on your knees and cry, you also have to see how to recover financially and care for the others first, especially if you have children. Just try to keep receipts of everything and seek the assistance of support systems and groups.
Yes, you can recover from a house fire
The fire and all the bad things that come with it create instability and ugly emotions. You suddenly see your world gone and feel angry, hopeless, shocked, stressed, and depressed. All these awful feelings will start going away and new, optimistic feelings will take their place once you start rebuilding your home and life because you will be able to see your future again. Start by making small decisions every single day. It will help you feel that you have matters under control again. So, if we wanted to give an answer to our main question today, we would say that yes, recovering from a house fire is possible. The process may be long and won’t be easy but you can pick up your pieces and make it happen. Yes, you can.
