After a Fire-The Dos and Don'ts

12/10/2019 (Permalink)

Knowing what to do after a fire will alleviate a stressful situation. Let us SERVPRO of Central Glendale take care of it for you!

A fire in your home or business can be devastating and stressful. If you ever find yourself in this situation, here are some tips on what to do and what not to do while you wait for your local SERVPRO to arrive on scene.

What to Do After a Fire

• To avoid further damage to your upholstery, make sure hands are clean when handling sofas, chairs, woodwork and walls
• A safe way to clean and protect chrome around the house or office is by applying petroleum jelly or oil to them
• Place clean towels or linen where there are high traffic areas
• Empty out the refrigerator and freezer while propping open the doors if the electricity is off
• Change the HVAC filter in your building
• Take double layers of cheese cloths and tape them over air registers to avoid constant debris blowing out into a room

What NOT to Do After a Fire

• Never attempt to clean electronic appliances that may have been close to the fire, heat or water (from the fire department) without consulting an authorized professional first
• Do not attempt to wash or paint any walls after a fire. There is guaranteed to be ash on the walls which needs to be removed with our sponges (designed specifically for fire ash and soot removal)
• Don’t turn on any ceiling fixtures when the ceiling is wet. There may be damaged wires that are not visible
• Do not send clothing to a regular dry cleaning service. Improper cleaning of garments after a fire can cause the smoke smell to settle into the material
• Never eat or drink any canned / boxed food or beverages that may have been stored near the fire, heat or water

If you have any more questions regarding what and what not to do after a fire, contact us at 818-246-2200 and we will be happy to answer!