Moving on after a fire of any kind is a daunting task. Moving on after a house fire is especially difficult because of the emotional connection you have to your home and the irreplaceable objects that may have been damaged in the fire. If you have children or pets, they can have especially strong reactions to the event. 

Here at BroadShield Restoration we specialize in helping Boerne and San Antonio families move forward after a house fire. While we hope that you never have to experience the pain and destruction a house fire causes, we are here to help if it does. We’ll work with you every step of the way, including helping you with the insurance process. In today’s blog we’re sharing a few tips we’ve learned in our time working in the restoration business. Continue reading to learn more about fire restoration and visit our fire damage restoration page to learn more about the services we offer.

Immediately Following The Fire

House fires are a terrifying, traumatic experience. Take the necessary emergency steps, like calling 911, exiting the house, and safely ensuring that all of your loved ones have exited. Once the immediate crisis is over, here are a few dos and don’t of what to do after a fire.

What Not To Do:

  • Don’t enter your home until you’ve been given permission by an authority like the fire department that it is safe.
  • Do not touch or try to turn on or off gas, water, or electric utilities yourself.
  • Do not try to clean up fire damage yourself — leave that to fire restoration professionals like BroadShield Restoration.

What To Do:

  • Contact family members and loved ones to let them know what has happened.
  • Contact BroadShield Restoration and your insurance company.
  • Call utility companies and let them know about the fire so they can turn off utilities if needed.
  • Document all fire damage and collect belongings that have survived the fire.
  • Start replacing important documents that were lost, like passports and birth certificates.
  • Take care of yourself and your family’s emotional needs.

These lists are not comprehensive, and you should rely on professionals like your local Boerne or San Antonio fire department to guide you through the process of what to do immediately following a fire. That’s why our restoration company is always here to get the fire restoration process started.

The Fire Restoration Process

After you’ve found a safe place to stay and followed the steps above, it’s time to start the fire restoration process. As with all damage restoration, it’s important to start the process as quickly as possible. Along with fire and smoke damage, a house fire can also cause water damage from putting out the blaze. If left untreated, water damage can cause significant structural damage. Our restoration specialists assess the situation, help you deal with insurance companies, and begin the construction process as efficiently as possible.

The general steps in the restoration process go as follows:

  1. Confirm that the house is safe to enter
  2. Assess the extent of the damage and make a restoration 
  3. Remove large debris 
  4. Remove soot
  5. Repair water damage and thoroughly dry surfaces
  6. Perform necessary construction
  7. Deodorize and deep clean hom to remove stains

Just as each home is unique, each restoration project is also unique. We want to make sure that our process is completely transparent. If you’re in need of extensive construction, our Boerne restoration specialists will work with you to return your property to its original condition — or better! Contact us today to get started, and keep our information around in case of an emergency.

Recovering Emotionally

In the midst of a crisis — especially one as catastrophic as a house fire — it can become difficult to think about caring for yourself. You’re thinking about financing, new construction or fire restoration, communicating with the fire department and insurance agents, the list goes on.

Here at BroadShiel Restoration, we’ve had to remind a lot of our clients to take care of themselves and their families. One of the reasons we help with insurance claims as well as with construction and fire restoration is because we want to help give you more time to recover emotionally. 

Here are a few self-care strategies we recommend:

  • Exercise or meditation
  • Allow yourself to cry 
  • Spend quality time with people you care about
  • Let others help you
  • Eat regular, balanced meals
  • Focus on what you do have rather than what you’ve lost

Know that recovering emotionally is a long, circuitous process. If you have children, help them to utilize self-care strategies as well. Depending on the situation, they may be experiencing anxiety and nightmares. Remember that a child’s ability to deal with crisis is influenced by how the adults in their life are coping — take care of yourself, and you children will learn healthy coping techniques too!

BroadShield Restoration Boerne

When natural disaster strikes, you don’t have to go it alone. You can trust our construction and insurance experts to return your home to what it was before — or better! We know that fire damage is devastating, and that fire restoration is a long, complicated process. So let us help in the ways that we can, so you can focus on healing emotionally and physically.

Our Boerne and San Antonio region is especially prone to damage of all kinds, and along with fire restoration, we also provide wind damage restoration, tornado damage restoration, hail repair, and water damage restoration services. Keep our contact info close, and call us when disaster strikes — we’re here for you.