Keep these handy
- Emergency
- 911 for fire, smoke, gas odor or anyone hurt
- Fire report
- Ask the responding department for the incident number before they leave
- Insurer
- Policy number, claim number once assigned, and your adjuster's name
- Utilities
- Your gas and electric provider's emergency line, from your bill or its website
Hour by hour, then day by day
Adjust to your situation. Safety always comes before paperwork.
- While the fire department is on scene
- Account for everyone. Get the incident number and ask whether the house is safe to enter, and which utilities were shut off.
- First few hours
- Call your insurer to open a claim. Ask about emergency services, temporary housing and whether they want to see the damage before work starts.
- Same day
- Arrange board-up and roof tarping, either through a restorer you choose or one your insurer suggests. Photograph the outside before boards go up.
- Same day
- Collect essentials if the fire department allows: medications, IDs, wallets, phones, glasses, chargers, school items, important documents.
- Day one
- Find a place to stay for at least a few nights. Keep every receipt from this point on.
- Day one or two
- Take a full photo and video walk-through of every room, including closets, ceilings and the basement, before anything is moved.
- Day two
- Decide how the house will be protected from freezing, theft and weather. Tell your mortgage company about the loss.
- Day two or three
- Meet the adjuster and the restorer. Ask for a written scope for emergency work and keep copies of anything you sign.
- Day three
- Start a simple claim notebook: dates, calls, names, what was agreed. Begin a list of damaged contents room by room.
Grab list if you are allowed back in briefly
- Prescription medications and medical devices
- Driver's licenses, passports, birth certificates and Social Security cards
- Insurance policy documents and mortgage papers
- Phones, laptops and chargers that were away from the fire
- Car keys, house keys and garage remotes
- Glasses, hearing aids and dentures
- A few days of clothing, even smoky, to be cleaned later
- Irreplaceable small items such as photos and jewelry
Common questions
Should I wait for the adjuster before boarding up?
Usually no. Insurers expect you to protect the property from further damage. Photograph everything first, then secure it, and keep the invoice.
How do I get a copy of the fire report?
Ask the responding fire department how to request it, and give them the incident number. It may take some time to be available.
General information for Centennial, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.