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After The Fire

Thanks to the United States Fire Administration, for allowing me to use some of the content from their publication "After the Fire". Firefighters may like to print copies of this page to have ready to hand to people who have had a property fire.

Contents
Your Reactions
The First 24 hours
Replacing Valuable Documents & Records
Salvage Hints Fire Service Operations

Recovering from a fire can be a physically and mentally draining process. When fire strikes, lives are suddenly turned around. Often, the hardest part is knowing where to begin and who to contact. This information is to give you some assistance with that.

Your Reactions

The Experience

	People who have had a fire often feel helpless and don't know what to do next.
	A fire is always a shock. It disrupts your life, and causes damage and loss in your home or business.
	Fire sometimes takes lives, or causes injuries.
	Most fires are accidental. They can happen to anyone.
	When you have had a fire, knowing what to do will help you cope.

Normal Reactions

	*At first* After a fire people often have physical or emotional reactions. These can include feeling numb, depressed or angry, and finding it difficult to decide what to do.
	*Later* Common reactions may include feeling guilty, angry, afraid or helpless.
	*Sometimes* People might find their appetite is disturbed. There may be difficulties with personal relationships.
	*Delayed feelings* Reactions may not happen till a few days, or even weeks afterwards. They are natural reactions and can go on for some time.
	*Children* Youngsters, too, are affected for some time after a fire and need to be helped through the upset and fear of the experience. Some children may be timid and weepy, others may show their distress by being noisy and disruptive.

HOW TO HELP YOURSELF OR GET HELP
Be gentle with yourself, it is natural to have these reactions. Talk to a trusted friend or relative about the fire and about your feelings. Help children talk about their feelings too.
You may well be able to overcome any problems yourself, but don't be afraid to ask for help from a doctor, nurse, minister or counsellor. You should seek advice from one of these professionals if problems go on for too long.

The First 24 Hours

If You Are Insured

	Contact your insurance agent/company/broker as soon as possible. Most companies have a 24 hour number listed in the white and yellow pages of the telephone book.
	Ask the insurance representative what to do about the immediate needs of the house, such as covering doors, windows, and other exposed areas, and pumping out water.
	Ask your insurance representative what actions are required of you. Some policyholders may be required to make a list of damaged property showing in detail the quantity, description and how much you paid for the items. Do not throw away any damaged goods until you have got permission from your insurance company.

If You Are Not Insured

Your recovery from a fire loss may be based upon your own resources and help from your community.
Organisations that may be sources of aid (clothing, bedding, housing etc) or information are:- the Red Cross, religious organisations, WINZ, Housing New Zealand Ltd.

First Things to Do

	Contact your local Victim Support service (through the police) to help you deal with the situation.
	If you are renting the property, tell your landlord as soon as possible.

Caution

	Check with the Fire Service to make sure your residence is safe to enter. Fires can rekindle from hidden, smouldering remains. If you think the fire has restarted, phone 111 (in New Zealand) and call the Fire Service back, rather than hoping you have put it all out. Be watchful of any structural damage caused by the fire.
	The Fire Service will usually see that utilities (water, electricity and natural gas) are either safe to use or are disconnected before they leave the site. Do NOT attempt to turn on these utilities yourself.
	Be watchful for structural damage caused by the fire. Roofs and floors may be damaged and subject to collapse. Nails may be sticking out from burnt timber.
	Food, beverages and medicine exposed to heat, smoke, soot and water should not be consumed.

Leaving Your Home

	Contact the police department to let them know the site will be unoccupied.
	In some cases it may be necessary to board up openings to discourage trespassers (if you are insured, the company should arrange this).
	Beginning immediately, save receipts for any money you spend. These receipts are important in showing the insurance company what money you have spent related to your fire loss and for businesses to verify losses claimed on your income tax.
	If it is safe to do so, try to locate the following items:- identification, such as driver’s licences and WINZ cards, insurance information, medication information, spectacles, hearing aids or other prosthetic devices, valuables, such as credit cards, bank books, cash and jewelery.
	There are many people/organisations that should be notified of your relocation, including:- your insurance agent/company, your bank(s), your mortgage company (also inform them of the fire), your family and friends, your employer, your child’s school, NZ Post, any courier services you regularly receive from, the fire service and police department, utility companies.
	Do not throw away any damaged goods until after an inventory is made. All damages are taken into consideration in developing your insurance claim.

Replacing Valuable Documents And Records

Here’s a check list of documents you will need to replace if they have been destroyed, and who to contact for information on the replacement process.

ITEM	WHO TO CONTACT
Driver’s licence, Vehicle registration	Land Transport Safety Authority
Bank books (cheque, savings, etc.)	Your bank, as soon as possible
Insurance policies	Your insurance company/agent/broker
Passports	Department of Internal Affairs
Birth, death and marriage certificates	Department of Internal Affairs
Social Welfare cards	Local WINZ office
Credit cards	The issuing banks/companies, as soon as possible
Shares, stocks and bonds	Issuing company or your broker

Salvage Hints

Commercial cleaners may be the best source of cleaning and restoring your personal belongings. They may be located in the yellow pages of the phone directory.

Water Removal
Dehumidifiers work well to remove the water from within a house's walls, floor, ceiling and furnishings. You will need more than one to cope with a reasonable amount of water.

Clothing
A word of caution before you begin: test garments before using any treatment, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Smoke odour and soot can sometimes be washed from clothing.
An effective way to remove mildew from clothing is to wash the fresh stain with soap and warm water, rinse, and then dry in the sun. If the stain has not disappeared, use lemon juice and salt or a diluted solution of household chlorine bleach.

Cooking Utensils
Your pots and pans etc should be washed with soapy water, rinsed and then polished with a fine-powdered cleaner. You can polish copper and brass with special polish, salt sprinkled on a piece of lemon, or salt sprinkled on a cloth saturated with vinegar.

Electrical Appliances
Don’t use appliances that have been exposed to water or steam until you have a service representative check them. This is especially true of electrical appliances. In addition, steam can remove the lubricant from some moving parts.

If the fire service turned off your gas or power during the fire, call the electric or gas company to restore these services - do not try to do it yourself.

Food
Wash your canned goods in detergent and water. Do the same for food in jars. If labels come off, be sure you mark the contents on the can or jar with a marker pen. Do not use canned goods when the cans have bulged or rusted. Do not refreeze frozen food that has thawed.

To remove odours from your refrigerator or freezer, wash the inside with a solution of baking soda and water, or use one cup of vinegar or household ammonia to 4 litres of water. Baking soda in an open container or a piece of charcoal can also be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to absorb odour.

Rugs and Carpets
Rugs and carpets should be allowed to dry thoroughly. Throw rugs can be cleaned by beating, sweeping, or vacuuming, and then shampooing. Rugs should be dried as quickly as possible - lay them flat and expose them to a circulation of warm, dry air. A fan turned on the rugs will speed drying. Make sure the rugs are thoroughly dry. Even though the surface seems dry, moisture remaining at the base of the tufts can quickly cause the rug to rot. For information on cleaning and preserving carpets, call your carpet dealer or installer or a qualified carpet cleaning professional.

Leather
Wipe leather goods with a damp cloth, then a dry cloth. Stuff purses and shoes with newspaper to retain shape. Leave suitcases open. Leather goods should be dried away from heat and sun. When leather goods are dry, clean with saddle soap. Rinse leather and suede jackets in cold water and dry away from heat and sun.

Books
Wet books must be taken care of as soon as possible. The best method to save wet books is to freeze them in a vacuum freezer. This special freezer will remove the moisture without damaging the pages.
If there will be a delay in locating such a freezer, then place them in a normal freezer until a vacuum freezer can be located. A librarian can also be a good source of advice.

Locks and Hinges
Locks (especially iron locks) should be taken apart and wiped with oil. If locks cannot be removed, squirt machine oil through a bolt opening or keyhole, and work the knob to distribute the oil. Hinges should also be thoroughly cleaned and oiled.

Walls, Floors and Furniture
To remove soot and smoke from walls, furniture and floors, use a mild soap or detergent.
Wash a small area at one time, working from the floor up. Then rinse the wall with clear water immediately. Ceilings should be washed last.
Do not repaint until walls and ceilings are completely dry.
Your wallpaper can also be repaired. Use a commercial paste to repaste a loose edge or section. Contact your wallpaper dealer or installer for information on wallpaper cleaners. Washable wallpaper can be cleansed like any ordinary wall, but care must be taken not to soak the paper. Work from bottom to top to prevent streaking.

Wooden Furniture
Do not dry your furniture in the sun. The wood will warp and twist out of shape. Clear off ash and dirt. Remove drawers. Let them dry thoroughly so there will be no sticking when you replace them. Scrub wood furniture or fixtures with a stiff brush and a cleaning solution. Wet wood can decay and mould, so dry thoroughly. Open doors and windows for good ventilation. Turn on your heaters, light the domestic fire or use your air conditioning. A dehumidifier will make a large difference. If mould forms, wipe the wood with a cloth soaked in a mixture of borax dissolved in hot water.
To remove white spots or film, rub the wood surface with a cloth soaked in a solution of 1/2 cup household ammonia and 1/2 cup water. Then wipe the surface dry and polish with wax or rub the surface with a cloth soaked in a solution of 1/2 cup turpentine and 1/2 cup linseed oil. Be careful - turpentine is combustible.
You can also rub the wood surface with a fine grade steel wool pad dripped in liquid polishing wax, clean the area with a soft cloth and then buff it.

Fire Service Operations

Q.Why are holes cut in walls or the roof?
This is done so that the Fire Service is absolutely sure that the fire is completely out, and that there is no fire inside the walls, roof or other hidden places.