-One of the first things a fire victim wants to do is get back into the building to see what can be saved. Wanting to find important and treasured items is a natural inclination, “But, it’s a job for the experts,” said Mark Powers, the fire damage expert from SERVPRO of Arroyo Grande/Pismo Beach
The fire department is only going to clear a home or business for entry after the fire is completely out. In some cases, the local building department also inspects the building and may not allow occupants to enter until potential structural dangers have been removed. Even though the fire is out, the chances are that supporting beams, the roof or floor have been weakened by the fire. Any kind of collapse can cause serious injury to anyone inside.
The most important advice is to be patient, don’t enter the building until it has been completely cleared by all of the necessary authorities. Always enter with a professional, which can include a representative of the fire department, a building inspector or a certified fire damage team.
The SERVPRO of Arroyo Grande/Pismo Beach fire damage repair team has the training and certifications to help property owners assess the damage, recover and restore furnishings, personal property, other possessions and the building. Regardless of where the damaged home or business is located, the following tips, prepared by Powers, are going to help keep everyone who needs to enter the building safe from possible injury.
- Only adults should enter, and as few as possible. Keep children away from the fire site.
- Wear protective equipment such as a hard hat, safety glasses and a mask or respirator.
- Once inside, move slowly and carefully to avoid stirring up soot. Airborne soot can be inhaled and can also embed into upholstery and any carpeting, rugs or window coverings that have survived the fire.
- Take a clipboard or notebook so you can jot down notes as your fire damage technician helps you assess the damage.
- If the power to the building has been turned off, remove all contents of the refrigerator and freezer and leave the doors open. In some cases, it’s safer to remove the doors.
- The assessment is going to include a room-to-room inspection to determine which items can be restored by repair or cleaning. Repairable appliances should only be repaired by manufacturer-authorized service centers.
- Work with the fire damage professionals to begin removing items that can be cleaned and repaired. You may need to move them into a temporary storage unit, then from there to the appropriate cleaning or repair service.
- Other tasks, such as recommending a dumpster service, drying out water damage, removing mold damage and removing smoke damage will be handled by the experts such as the SERVPRO fire damage technicians serving Arroyo Grande.
The SERVPRO of Arroyo Grande/Pismo Beach professionals also work with your insurance company to help process and monitor the claim, as well as other tasks that come with restoring a building from fire damage. Owner Mark Powers and his leadership team grew up and raised their families in the community. The entire team works to provide high quality and exceptional service by guiding their customers through the job from beginning to final walk-through. The team’s goal is to make it “Like it never even happened.”
SERVPRO of Pismo Beach/Arroyo Grande
1131 Pike Lane Suite
Oceano, CA 93445
(805) 473-0772
