After the Fire
FA-46 | January 2019
After the Fire 1
A fire will change your life in many ways.
Knowing where to begin and who can help
you is important. The U.S. Fire Administration
hopes you nd this information useful as you
return to normal.
What to expect
A re in your home can cause serious damage. Your home and
many of the things in your home may be badly damaged by
ames, heat, smoke and water.
You will find things not damaged by the fire may still be
ruined by smoke and may be soggy with water used to put
out the re. Anything you want to save or reuse will need to
be carefully cleaned.
To ght the re, reghters
may have broken windows
and cut holes in the roof. This
slows the re’s growth and
gets rid of dark smoke that
makes it hard for reghters
to see. They may have cut
holes in your walls to make
sure that the re is completely
out and not hidden in the
walls.
It is important to understand
the risk to your safety and
health even after the re is
out. The soot and dirty water
left behind may contain things
that could make you sick. Be
very careful if you go into your
home and if you touch any
re-damaged items.
If your home had a home
re sprinkler system, you
will find little damage
from ames, heat, smoke
and water. If you plan to
rebuild, now is the time
to think about installing
sprinklers. Learn more
about fire sprinklers at
the Home Fire Sprinkler
Coalition’s website: www.
homeresprinkler.org.
2
After the Fire 3
What do I do now?
| Contact your insurance agent
Contact your insurance company right away and ask them what
to do rst. There are companies that specialize in cleaning and
restoring your personal items. Ask your insurance company
for recommendations of companies you can trust. Make sure
you know if you or your insurance company will pay for the
cleaning. When you contact the company, be sure to ask for a
cost estimate in writing.
If you do not have insurance, your family and community
might help you get back on your feet. Organizations that might
help include:
ĵ American Red Cross (ARC).
ĵ Salvation Army.
ĵ Religious organizations.
ĵ Public agencies, such as the public health department.
ĵ Community groups.
ĵ State or municipal emergency services oce.
ĵ Nonprot crisis-counseling centers.
| Take care of yourself and family
Contact your local disaster relief service, such as the ARC or the
Salvation Army. They will help you nd food, clothing, medicine
and a place to stay. You have a big job ahead of you. Get plenty
of rest, and ask for help. Do not try to do it all alone.
| Help your pets
If you have pets, nd and comfort them. Scared animals often
react by biting or scratching. Handle them carefully. Try to leave
pets with a family member, friend or veterinarian if you are
visiting or cleaning your damaged home. Keeping your pets out
of the house until the cleanup is complete will keep them safe.
| Security and safety
Do not enter your damaged home or apartment unless the re
department says it is safe.
4
The re department will make sure the utility services (water,
electricity and gas) are safe to use. If they are not safe,
reghters will have your utilities turned o or disconnected
before they leave. Do not try to turn them back on by yourself.
Contact your police department to let them know you will be
away from your home. In some cases, you may need to board
up windows and doors so no one can get in.
| Finances
Get in touch with your landlord or mortgage lender.
Contact your credit card company to report credit cards that
were lost in the re.
Save all of your receipts for any money you spend. The receipts
may be needed later by the insurance company, and you will
need them to prove losses claimed on your tax return.
After the Fire 5
The rst days of recovery
| The value of your home and personal belongings
Talk with your insurance company about how to learn the value
of your home and property.
| Replacing valuable documents and records
You may want to replace many of the following documents if
they were destroyed or lost in the re:
ĵ Driver’s license.
ĵ Auto registration.
ĵ Titles and deeds.
ĵ Insurance policies.
ĵ Military discharge papers.
ĵ Passports.
ĵ Birth, death and
marriagecerticates.
ĵ Divorce papers.
ĵ Social security or
Medicarecards.
ĵ Credit cards.
ĵ Stocks and bonds.
ĵ Wills.
ĵ Medical records.
ĵ Warranties.
ĵ Income tax records.
ĵ Citizenship papers.
| Replacing money
Handle burnt money as little as possible. Try to place each bill
or part of a bill in plastic wrap to help preserve it. If money is
only partly burnt — if half or more is still OK — you can take it
to your regional Federal Reserve Bank to get it replaced. Ask
your bank for the one nearest you.
You can also send the burnt money to the Treasury.
For personal delivery and nonpostal couriers, e.g. FedEx/UPS,
send to:
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
MCD/OFM, Room 344A
14th and C Streets SW
Washington, DC 20228
Personal deliveries of mutilated currency to the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing are accepted between the hours of
8-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-2 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding
holidays and other closings.
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For USPS Delivery, make sure it is mailed “registered mail, return
receipt requested” and send to:
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
MCD/OFM, Room 344A
P.O. Box 37048
Washington, DC 20013
You can nd more information about replacing damaged money
at www.moneyfactory.gov/submitaclaim.
To replace U.S. savings bonds that have been destroyed or
mutilated, go to www.TreasuryDirect.gov/forms/sav1048.pdf
and download the FS Form 1048 – Claim for Lost, Stolen, or
Destroyed United States Savings Bonds.
Additional requirements
ĵ
If the bond(s) is mutilated, carefully pack the pieces and
submit them with the FS Form 1048.
ĵ
If any registrant is deceased, provide a certied copy of the
death certicate.
Send to:
Treasury Retail Securities Site
P.O. Box 214
Minneapolis, MN 55480-0214
After the Fire 7
Checklist for next steps after a re
©
Contact your local disaster relief service, such as the
American Red Cross. They will help you nd food, clothing,
medicine and a place to stay.
© If you have insurance, contact your insurance company.
Ý
Ask what you should do to keep your home safe until
it is repaired.
Ý
Ask who you should talk to about cleaning up your
home.
©
If you are not insured, try contacting community groups
for aid and assistance.
©
Check with the re department to make sure that your
home is safe to enter. Be very careful when you go inside.
Floors and walls may not be as safe as they look.
©
Contact your landlord or mortgage company to report the
re.
© Try to nd valuable documents and records.
©
If you leave your home, call the local police department to
let them know the site will be vacant.
©
Begin saving receipts for any money that you spend related
to the re loss. The receipts may be needed later by the
insurance company and to prove any losses claimed on
your income tax.
©
Check with an accountant or the IRS about special benets
for people recovering from re loss.
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Important information
Date of re: _____________________________
Time of re: _____________________________
Location of re: _____________________________
Name of re department:
Address of re department:
Fire department
nonemergency number: _____________________________
Fire incident report number: _____________________________
Fire marshal or re investigator: _____________________________
Insurance company: _____________________________
Insurance company
telephone number: _____________________________
Insurance policy number: _____________________________
Vehicle identication number (VIN) for cars, trucks and
motorcycles destroyed:
U.S. Fire Administration
16825 South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
www.usfa.fema.gov
