What To Do After Fire Damage

Fires can be a lot of fun. There’s nothing quite like roasting s’mores in someone’s backyard or telling scary stories around a campfire just before everyone hobbles away to sleep in a tent in the wilderness. We all have fond memories. However, not all fire memories are fond and one bad experience with a fire in your Savannah home can be costly, damaging, traumatizing, and inconvenient. It’ll still be memorable, just like the other fire memories you have. It just won’t be pleasant. Checking your home after a fire properly can minimize the long-term damage and keep you and your family safe. We at Harper Special Services would like to recommend a few steps you should take to check your home after a severe fire: 

1. Wait until after colored tape has been removed and you have been “cleared” by local authorities to enter your home if that is a factor. Leave your children with a relative or friend when you first conduct an inspection as the site may be unsafe or traumatizing. 
2. Check for structural damage. Loose power lines, foundation cracks, or missing or severely damaged support beams are red flags. If the door is jammed, don’t force it open as the structure of your home is already compromised. If the door is supporting the building, you’ll be in danger if you push it in. Find another way to enter your home. 
3. Sniff for gas and listen for a hissing sound that may indicate a natural or propane gas leak. If you suspect this, leave immediately and call the fire department. 
4. Don’t walk on saggy floors and steer clear of saggy ceilings as this likely indicates