3 Key Steps to Take After a Fire

3/23/2022 (Permalink)

This office space was ravaged by a fire. SERVPRO does the heavy lifting for you, removing debris and restoring the affected area!

Businesses in Cape Coral, FL suffer a wide range of consequences after a fire: lost assets and equipment, damaged buildings and environmental hazards, just to name a few. Dealing with details and the interruption to your operations can feel overwhelming, but there are a few key steps you can take. Your insurance company, along with skilled fire restoration technicians, will play key roles in the aftermath of a blaze.

1. Contact Your Insurance Provider

Once you and your employees are safely accounted for and the flames are put out, your next phone call should be to your insurance company. The commercial property portion of your business policy provides the fire insurance coverage to handle your recent loss. Try to get as many details as possible ready before you get on the phone, but keep in mind that you’ll probably be in contact with an adjuster who’ll assess the destruction.

2. Hands Off Everything

For both safety and practical reasons, you should not touch any damaged or destroyed areas of your premises after a fire. Although it might be tempting to “rescue” equipment, furniture or even filing cabinets, keep in mind that your insurance adjuster needs to document the post-blaze state of your property.

3. Contact Cleanup and Restoration Services

After the flames have been put out, your premises likely suffer from smoke and fire damage as well as flooding and water damage from fire suppression efforts. An expert fire restoration company will assess what work must be done and then perform clean up to bring it back to its former condition. Typical services include board-up services for missing walls and windows, tarp-up on impacted roofs, water removal, smoke cleaning, and final cleaning and sanitizing.

Fire’s natural properties make it a destructive force that not only consumes but leaves lasting effects behind in its wake. Thankfully, a fire restoration professional in Cape Coral, FL can help your business on the path to recovery.