After a catastrophic fire, help’s available to recover, says Jamestown fire chief

Oct. 4—JAMESTOWN — The U.S. Fire Administration offers information on what to do after a fire, which can help people dealing with a catastrophic loss, said Fire Chief Jim Reuther of the Jamestown Fire Department.

The “After the Fire” information covers the basics from contacting your insurance company to replacing valuable documents. It can be found online on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website at

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa_46.pdf

It includes a checklist for next steps.

“It’s helping to pick up the pieces after having a fire,” Reuther said.

The Jamestown Fire Department shares that U.S. Fire Administration information with people who go through a fire, Reuther said.

“Once we’re (JFD) done with the emergency or done with the fire, we’re not going to leave them behind,” he added. “We’re going to help. We tell them to call anytime they want to call and we’ll help them through this.”

As devastating as a fire is, the recovery stage is also a hard process and it is a long process, Reuther said.

“The hardest part of this process is being able to move forward for those occupants or owners,” he said.

Reuther said one of the first things he asks those who go through a fire is if they have insurance. If so, they should contact that company’s 24-hour number to get the process started, he said. If they don’t have insurance, the U.S. Fire Administration says family and community might help with the process, for example, public agencies, the American Red Cross or other organizations.

The U.S. Fire Administration notes a fire can cause serious damage to a home and its contents.

“I always tell everybody to basically get yourself a notebook and start writing things down,” Reuther said. “What you had where.”

Insurance companies will want to know what you had in the house, he said.

Things not damaged by the fire can be ruined by smoke and be soggy with water, the U.S. Fire Administration says.

“I know people want to try to salvage anything that they possibly can. … we don’t blame them for that. But some things you don’t want to salvage,” Reuther said.

Those include medications, clothing, electronics and food, he said. Clothing can be washed but it doesn’t come out well, he said. Most electronics are not salvageable due to heat or water. And food, even if it was in a refrigerator, can be affected because the power to the home was cut during the fire and a safe temperature was not maintained.

JFD can help people needing prescription medication after a fire has occurred by providing a report that, if the medication is needed late at night, can be taken to the ER to get them through the next 24 hours, Reuther said.

The U.S. Fire Administration also notes that firefighters may have had to take steps to fight the fire, such as breaking windows or cutting holes in walls, so there can be a risk to safety after the fire is extinguished. It recommends people be careful if they are going into their home and touching fire-damaged items. They shouldn’t enter unless the fire department says it’s safe.

“Most of the time it’s not safe, you don’t know if the structure is safe at all,” Reuther said.

He said while the fire department is at the call, firefighters have gone in to help people retrieve personal property such as jewelry or a cellphone.

While JFD can’t tell the occupants to stay out of the home after the fire, they advise it for their own safety, he said.

“And If they are going to enter the property, they shouldn’t enter the property by themselves, they should always make sure that they have somebody else there that can help them and then somebody outside the property that is standing there in case something happens bad that somebody can call 911,” Reuther said. “Never enter the property alone.”

He said JFD has escorted people in after a fire, but after they leave, people would be going in at their own risk, noting there could be nails on the floor, problems with the floor or toxins in the home.

The U.S. Fire Administration recommends people contact their insurance agency right away and ask them what to do first. They can also ask their insurance company for recommendations for companies that provide cleaning services.

They should also contact the American Red Cross or Salvation Army with help with food, clothing, medicine and a place to stay, the agency says.

Reuther said JFD always asks if those going through a fire need help from the American Red Cross.

“Red Cross is really good about coming right to the incident and trying to help,” he said, such as providing vouchers for food and hotel assistance for a day or two. Beyond that, people will need to consider where to live on a long-term basis, whether to rent or buy, he said.

Reuther said JFD also can help with finding counseling assistance if there are children impacted by the fire. That can be helpful for the whole family, he said.

The U.S. Fire Administration said pets also need comforting after a fire, which might affect their behavior. They should be kept out of the home until the cleanup is finished.

People going through a fire should also contact their landlord or mortgage lender, the U.S. Fire Administration recommends. Contact credit card companies to report any cards that were lost in the fire. Save receipts for money you spend, which may be needed by your insurance company, as well as to prove losses claimed on your tax return.

The U.S. Fire Administration recommends talking with your insurance company about how to learn the value of your home and property. Valuable documents and records may need to be replaced, such as a driver’s license, auto registration, title and deeds insurance policies, passports, Social Security cards and others.

If there’s burnt money, it can be replaced, the agency says, at a regional Federal Reserve Bank or if it is sent to the Treasury.

For people who rent an apartment, it’s important to have renters insurance, Reuther said. If there is a fire in an apartment next to yours and you sustain smoke or fire damage, if you don’t have your own insurance, you won’t be covered, he said.

Reuther notes when a renter who sustains damage has to replace things such as a TV, bed, clothes and furniture, it can add up. Some property management companies require that renters carry renters insurance, he said.

Reuther said after receiving his own insurance policy, he takes photos of every room in the home and the garage and places them in his safe. He recommends people take photos of their property and make sure their insurance policy is updated to reflect any changes.