Making sure your home is structurally safe

After the fire is put out by the emergency services, they will inform you if they think the building is unsafe. If it is:

  • they will tell the local building control officer
  • public access may be fenced off and the building repairs left to you
  • they may shore up or demolish the property to avoid danger to the public

Support available immediately after a fire

The Fire and Emergency Support Service is provided by British Red Cross volunteers using a specially adapted vehicle. They will arrive at the scene of any incident within 90 minutes of being called out, providing practical help and emotional support to those affected by fire. The service is able to provide:

  • immediate temporary shelter in the vehicle
  • help finding temporary accommodation
  • first aid and emotional support
  • support with the care of children and pets
  • shower and toilet facilities
  • clothing, toiletries and light refreshments
  • the use of a phone and camera to help with insurance claims

The service will respond to a request from the Fire and Rescue Service.

Support if you can’t stay in your home

If you can’t live in your home after a fire, you could:

  • arrange temporary accommodation with relatives or friends
  • contact your local council’s housing office

If you are made homeless by fire, there is help available. See ‘Homelessness – getting help if you need somewhere to live’ for advice and information.

Actions to take after a fire

Make your property secure – When the emergency services leave, you are responsible for the security of your property. Your insurers will expect you to make sure your home is secure. Remove all valuables from the property if it is safe to do so and close all doors and windows. If windows and doors need boarding up, contact your local council if you are a council tenant. If you’re not a council tenant, you can find a glazier in a local phone directory. You can get access to the internet and phone directories at your local library. Tell the police if you leave the property before it is secure, explaining any arrangements you have made with trades people. You will probably be charged for any services to make your home secure. You may be able to claim some costs back through your home insurance, so keep all receipts and paperwork.

Contact your insurance company – Following a fire, it’s advisable to contact your insurance company as soon as possible.

Contact electricity, gas and water suppliers – If your electricity, gas or water supplies were damaged in the fire, or disconnected following it, contact your supplier to arrange repair and reconnection. Do not attempt to reconnect or turn on the supply yourself. You can find contacts for gas, water and electricity companies in a local phone directory (you can access one for free at a library).

Replacing valuable documents and records – If important personal documents are lost or damaged in your house fire, you will need to contact a range of organisations to get replacements. Directgov can help you find contacts for the documents below:

  • Driver’s licence click here here to visit Directgov’s ‘Apply online to replace your driving licence’
  • Passport click here click here to visit Directgov’s ‘Replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport’
  • Birth, marriage and death certificates click here click here to visit Directgov’s ‘Order a birth, marriage or death certificate online’
  • Divorce papers – contact the court where the decree was issued using Directgov’s CourtFinder tool by click herehere, or use a Decree Absolute service
  • Benefits and social security payments click here click herehere to search Directgov’s ‘A-Z contact details for entitlements and benefits’
  • Property titles or deeds click here click here to contact the Land Registry
  • Income tax recordsclick here to contact the HMRC office where you filed your accounts or your accountant
  • Vehicle registration click here to visit Directgov’s ‘Apply for a vehicle registration certificate’

Cleaning up after a fire – Before starting to clean, make sure you consult your insurance company. They may want you to use their preferred professional cleaners. If you are cleaning up yourself, much dirt and soot from a fire can be washed off using soapy water. There are a few areas of clean up where you need to be careful:

  • Electrical appliances – Any appliances that may have been in contact with fire, water or steam shouldn’t be used until an electrician has confirmed they are safe to use.
  • Food – Throw away any cans that have bulged or are dented or rusted. Never re-freeze food that has thawed or partially thawed.
Tempest Restoration 24/7 service

FAQs

A. We aim to be on the scene as soon as we can. With technicians located acrosss the UK, you are never too far away from the expert help of Tempest Restoration. The longer you delay after your property has been affected by fire, the worse the damage will be. From the moment of arrival on site, we will begin the decontamination process. We work around the clock to ensure that fire damage and your losses are kept to a minimum. We aim to safely return your business to normal, as quickly as possible.

A. Damage caused by fire may look superficial but its the effects on materials that are not visible that can have lasting consequences to health and to the structure of a building. Potential hazards include asbestos and lead among others. Your home is full of porous materials and smoke can penetrate these materials beyond what is viewable by the naked eye. Our bespoke equipment and understanding of the uniqueness of each fire gives us the ability to detect fire damage and deal with it safely and effectively. Hired machines in the hands of inexperienced operators will cost unnecessary time and money in the long term. We understand the urgency of returning your home to its pre incident state and we operate quickly and efficiently to do so for you.

A. From your point of view, the quicker the process starts, the quicker you can be back in your home. Restoration work following a fire can be lengthy, it would be wrong to assume its a quick fix. Secondary damage caused by fire begins within minutes but can be minimised if dealt with promptly by a professional. During a fire, chemical reactions produce chemicals that are toxic and potentially fatal. During the time that the fire services are extinguishing the flames, the use of water (although required for putting out the fire) can unfortunately cause further structural damage and additional hazards. The contaminated area needs to be neutralised and rendered safe to prevent further damage and degradation. Potentially, every minute is costing you money.

A. During the combustion of a fire, chemical changes occur and environmental pollutants are created, many of which are harmful to human health. This seems fairly straight forward but natural and synthetic materials in your home produce a vast array of chemicals, depending on their makeup. Here at Tempest, we thoroughly assess the entire area using state-of-the-art testing equipment to detect any traces of hazardous substances.

A. Of paramount importance and priority is safety. Fire can, however big or small, cause structural damage to your home. Even past the point of the emergency services approving the site safe for entry, you should still proceed with caution. Every fire is different and unique. The location of a fire in your home can cause a chain reaction to other rooms, and sometimes it can be contained, either way the process of restoration is variable depending on many different factors. We assess each site to ascertain the extent of the damage and the precise actions required. We undertake a comprehensive risk assessment and survey of the property along with safety checks of power supplies to isolate any further damage. Ventilation of the home then removes trace of odour. Contents are assessed for renovation/removal and damaged surfaces are decontaminated and cleaned, neutralising odours.

A. During a fire the heat produced can reach thousands of degrees. The corrosive smoke produced is forced into every space and becomes trapped in porous materials, most surfaces will almost certainly suffer corrosion. Combustion will create chemical products that will be toxic long after fire is extinguished. During the fire, fumes and chemicals produced such as carbon monoxide are potentially fatal. It is essential that your home is decontaminated by a professional following a fire, you could be ricking your health if you don't.

A. Yes. A fire produces chemical residues during combustion. The combustion process releases harmful chemicals into the environment. In older buildings materials such as asbestos and mercury have fatal side effects when subjected to fire. These chemicals penetrate porous materials and surfaces within the building itself. Smoke particles can penetrate some places you probably didn't think of, such as your heating system. If left, they can remain for months in the atmosphere which can result in lung irritation and respiratory problems, a major reason for having a professional undertake the restoration work.

A. Given that each fire is individual and unique based on many different factors including location, time and combustibles, the damage caused and cost to restore is also variable. In order to limit these costs, it is essential that fire damage remediation commences as quickly as possible. The secondary damage caused to properties begins following the fire being extinguished and will cause costs to escalate if not stopped. Our swift response teams located across the UK can be on site speedily and act quickly and efficiently to ensure your losses are kept to a minimum and your home can be back to normal in a short space of time.

A. Our technicians are trained to the highest standards and are equipped to decontaminate fire and soot-damaged properties. We have been restoring, renovating and repairing domestic and commercial premises for over many years and have served hundreds of customers in across the UK, helping them get back to normal. We are trusted providers to many insurance companies who come highly recommend.

A. We operate across the UK with technicians available in major towns and cities. Our head office is based in Swaffham, Norfolk where we undertake all our training.

Tempest Restoration

Head Office
Unit 3 Jack Boddy Way Swaffham, Norfolk PE37 7HJ

Contact Tempest Restoration

Phone: 0845 052 4522
General enquiries: info@tempestrestoration.co.uk

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Tempest Restoration is registered in England and Wales, Number 03559516
Registered office: 19 King Street, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1HB

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