What to expect
After a fire, step by step
Nobody plans for this, so nobody knows what happens next. Here is the whole thing, from the first phone call to moving back in, in the order it actually happens. Print it, share it with whoever is helping you, and ask us about any step.
Day one: the first call and the first visit
You call. We ask what happened, whether the fire department has released the property and where you are staying tonight. A crew loads and goes. On site we do a safety walk, board up and tarp, start extracting water, place air scrubbers, and photograph every room before anything is touched. You sign an authorization for the emergency work only, with the price on it. Then you call your insurer, if you have not already, and open the claim.
Days two to three: assessment and scope
In daylight, with the building secured, we do the full assessment: residue types identified room by room, moisture mapped, structure inspected, contents surveyed. From that comes a written scope of work in the line-item format your adjuster uses, a schedule, and a clear list of what is being cleaned, what is being removed, and what is borderline. You review it with us. Nothing beyond the emergency work starts until you have approved the scope.
Week one: contents out, drying, source removal
Contents are inventoried and packed out to our facility. Burned and smoke-saturated materials that cannot be saved are removed. Drying equipment runs continuously and is metered daily. Your adjuster usually visits during this week; we meet them on site and walk them through the scope.
Weeks two to four: cleaning and deodorizing
Every surface the smoke reached is cleaned by residue type, from the ceilings down. Ducts are cleaned. Framing is cleaned and sealed. The air is treated by fogging, hydroxyl or ozone depending on the space. Contents are being cleaned in parallel off-site. Drying is verified complete and the equipment comes out. This is the end of the mitigation phase and, on smaller losses, the end of the job.
Weeks four onward: reconstruction
Permits are pulled. Framing, roofing, electrical, plumbing, insulation, drywall, finishes, in that order, with city inspections at each stage. You get a schedule and a weekly update, and you are told immediately when something changes it, because something usually does: inspection lead times, material availability, a surprise inside a wall.
The end: walk-through and return
You walk every room with us against the scope. Anything not right goes on a punch list and is fixed before contents come back. Then the inventory comes home, is unpacked into the rooms it came from and checked off with you. Final paperwork goes to you and your adjuster.
Throughout: one number, one person
The person you speak to on the first night is the person running the job. No call center, no ticket numbers, no "let me find out who is handling that".
Meanwhile
Things to do in the first week that are not our job
Open the claim early
Policies require prompt notice. Get a claim number, the adjuster's name and direct contact, and ask specifically about additional living expenses.
Keep every receipt
Hotel, meals, clothes, toiletries, pet boarding. Additional living expense coverage reimburses these and people routinely forget to claim it.
Tell the utilities and the mortgage company
Gas and electric may need to be isolated. Your mortgage servicer is usually named on the policy and may need to endorse claim cheques.
Get the fire report
The fire department's incident report is often needed by the insurer. Request it from the department that responded.
Do not throw anything away
Even obviously ruined items need to be documented for the contents claim before they are disposed of.
Be careful what you sign
Read anything that mentions assigning benefits, and take your time. A legitimate contractor will not pressure you on the first night.
Want us to walk you through it?
Ten minutes on the phone and you will know what the next week looks like. No charge, no pressure, and we will tell you if you do not need us.