The short answer

After a fire: do not re-enter until the fire service says it is safe, do not restore utilities to anything exposed to heat or water, photograph everything before touching it, get the incident report reference, notify your insurer and secure the building against weather and entry. Cleaning comes after documentation, not before.

Take these on the first visit

Keep the first trip short and specific. Everything else is better handled through a documented inventory.

  • Identification and essential documents
  • Medication and any medical equipment
  • Keys, wallets, phones and chargers
  • A few days of clothing, if uncontaminated
  • Anything irreplaceable — photographed in place first
  • Pet supplies

Do not do these

These are the actions that most reliably reduce what can be recovered or what can be claimed.

  • Do not switch on anything that was wet or smoke-exposed
  • Do not dry-wipe soot — it drives residue into the finish
  • Do not throw anything away before it is inventoried
  • Do not air-dry wet documents in a stack
  • Do not eat food, or use medication or cosmetics, exposed to heat or residue
  • Do not sign anything with the scope or price left blank

Start the restoration request

Need restoration service for this property?

Send the address, callback number and a short description of the damage. You do not need to diagnose the problem before requesting help.

Request service

Say early which items are irreplaceable

Contents recovery is priced per item and effort is finite. Naming these on day one changes where the work goes.

  • Photographs, albums and negatives
  • Documents, certificates and records
  • Items of sentimental rather than monetary value
  • Anything handmade, inherited or unique
  • Musical instruments and specialist equipment
  • Data on any storage device

Why the first visit matters more than it looks

After a fire the temptation is to start cleaning, and it is the wrong instinct. Soot type determines the cleaning method, and the wrong method — particularly wetting a dry residue or wiping it under pressure — drives it permanently into surfaces that could otherwise have been cleaned.

The same applies to contents. A domestic wash can set smoke odour into a textile, and powering up a smoke-exposed appliance or device can finish it. Leaving things alone until the residue is identified is an active decision, not passivity.

Step by step

The day after a fire

A printable order of operations for the twenty-four hours after a fire is extinguished.

  1. Wait for clearance

    Structural stability and hot spots are the fire service's assessment. Do not re-enter until you are told it is safe, however minor the damage looks.

  2. Leave utilities off

    Electricity, gas and water stay off to anything exposed to heat or suppression water until the relevant trade has assessed it.

  3. Photograph before touching

    Every room, every damaged surface, contents in place, including inside cupboards and drawers. This is the contents claim.

  4. Get the incident reference

    Obtain the fire incident report number. Most insurers require it and it fixes the date and nature of the event.

  5. Notify the insurer

    Report promptly. The insurer may also arrange emergency services under the policy, and prompt notification supports the claim.

  6. Secure the building

    Board up openings and cover damaged roofing. An open building takes weather and invites entry, and policies expect reasonable steps to limit further loss.

  7. Retrieve essentials only

    Identification, medication, essential documents and a few days of what you need. Leave the wider contents question to a documented inventory.

Clear answers

Common questions

When can I go back into the building?

Not until the fire service and, where relevant, structural and electrical assessments say it is safe. Structural condition, residue and utilities all have to be cleared, and that is not a judgement to make from the doorway.

Should I run the heating or air conditioning?

No, not until the system has been inspected. A system that runs after a fire distributes residue into every room it serves, including rooms the smoke never reached.

What should I ask the insurer on the first call?

Report the loss, ask about additional living expenses coverage, and ask what they want documented. Keep every receipt from day one — accommodation, clothing, meals.

Can I clean the soot off myself while I wait?

No. Residue type determines the method, and the wrong method makes the damage permanent. Leave it until somebody has identified what it is.

When can I go back in?

When the fire service says it is safe. Heat weakens structure invisibly, hot spots persist inside assemblies, and suppression water adds load.

Can I start cleaning to make it feel better?

Not before the property is documented. Dry-wiping soot also drives residue into finishes and enlarges the work.

What about the water the fire service used?

It is a water loss on top of the fire loss, and in a Vermont winter an unheated building means it can freeze. Board-up and temporary heat become urgent.

Where will we stay?

Additional living expenses are commonly part of a homeowners policy. Involve the insurer from the start and keep every receipt.

Authoritative references

Sources used on this page

Time-sensitive rules and public guidance should be checked at the source before work begins.