1. Stay out until you are cleared
Get everyone out and call 911. Do not go back in for documents, pets you cannot see, or a quick look at the kitchen. Smoke, a weakened floor, and a fire that is not fully out are the hazards that hurt people after the first flames are down.
Wait until the fire department says the building is safe to enter. If they will only allow a supervised walk-through, take it, and do not stay to start cleaning.
2. Call your insurer and open a record
Call the insurance company as soon as you reasonably can, the same day if the office or the claims line is open. Ask how they want the loss reported and what they need before debris is removed. Write down the claim number and the name of anyone you speak with.
3. Photograph what you can safely see
From a safe place, photograph rooms, roofs, broken openings, and damaged belongings before they are moved. Include wide shots and close shots. The water used to fight the fire is part of the loss. Ceilings, floors, and contents that look only wet still belong in the record.
- Charred or melted finishes and furniture
- Smoke on ceilings and inside cabinets
- Broken glass, open roofs, and missing doors
- Wet drywall and flooring from suppression
4. Close the building against weather and entry
An open roof, a broken window, or a door that will not lock will turn one loss into two. Board-up and tarping are there to keep rain out and the house secure until repairs are scoped. If utilities were not already shut off by the fire department, ask them before anyone else touches gas or the panel.
5. Start cleanup before soot sits
Soot is acidic. The longer it stays on metal, stone, and finished wood, the more of those surfaces are lost. A fire cleanup is not a weekend of household cleaner. It is removal of what cannot be saved, cleaning of what can, and drying wherever suppression water went.
After the emergency work, the rebuild can be a straight restoration or the start of a remodel. That choice can wait until the building is safe, dry, and documented.