After the Fire

FA-46 | January 2019

After the Fire 1

A fire will change your life in many ways. 

Knowing where to begin and who can help 

you is important. The U.S. Fire Administration 

hopes you find this information useful as you 

return to normal.

What to expect

A fire in your home can cause serious damage. Your home and 

many of the things in your home may be badly damaged by 

flames, heat, smoke and water.

You will find things not damaged by the fire may still be 

ruined by smoke and may be soggy with water used to put 

out the fire. Anything you want to save or reuse will need to 

be carefully cleaned.

To fight the fire, firefighters 

may have broken windows 

and cut holes in the roof. This 

slows the fire’s growth and 

gets rid of dark smoke that 

makes it hard for firefighters 

to see. They may have cut 

holes in your walls to make 

sure that the fire is completely 

out and not hidden in the 

walls.

It is important to understand 

the risk to your safety and 

health even after the fire is 

out. The soot and dirty water 

left behind may contain things 

that could make you sick. Be 

very careful if you go into your 

home and if you touch any 

fire-damaged items.

If your home had a home 

fire sprinkler system, you 

will find little damage 

from flames, heat, smoke 

and water. If you plan to 

rebuild, now is the time 

to think about installing 

sprinklers. Learn more 

about fire sprinklers at 

the Home Fire Sprinkler 

Coalition’s website: www.

homefiresprinkler.org.
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After the Fire 3

What do I do now?

 | Contact your insurance agent

Contact your insurance company right away and ask them what 

to do first. There are companies that specialize in cleaning and 

restoring your personal items. Ask your insurance company 

for recommendations of companies you can trust. Make sure 

you know if you or your insurance company will pay for the 

cleaning. When you contact the company, be sure to ask for a 

cost estimate in writing.

If you do not have insurance, your family and community 

might help you get back on your feet. Organizations that might 

help include:

ĵ American Red Cross (ARC).

ĵ Salvation Army.

ĵ Religious organizations.

ĵ Public agencies, such as the public health department.

ĵ Community groups.

ĵ State or municipal emergency services office.

ĵ Nonprofit crisis-counseling centers.

 | Take care of yourself and family

Contact your local disaster relief service, such as the ARC or the 

Salvation Army. They will help you find food, clothing, medicine 

and a place to stay. You have a big job ahead of you. Get plenty 

of rest, and ask for help. Do not try to do it all alone.

 | Help your pets

If you have pets, find and comfort them. Scared animals often 

react by biting or scratching. Handle them carefully. Try to leave 

pets with a family member, friend or veterinarian if you are 

visiting or cleaning your damaged home. Keeping your pets out 

of the house until the cleanup is complete will keep them safe.

 | Security and safety

Do not enter your damaged home or apartment unless the fire 

department says it is safe.
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The fire department will make sure the utility services (water, 

electricity and gas) are safe to use. If they are not safe, 

firefighters will have your utilities turned off or disconnected 

before they leave. Do not try to turn them back on by yourself.

Contact your police department to let them know you will be 

away from your home. In some cases, you may need to board 

up windows and doors so no one can get in.

 | Finances

Get in touch with your landlord or mortgage lender.

Contact your credit card company to report credit cards that 

were lost in the fire.

Save all of your receipts for any money you spend. The receipts 

may be needed later by the insurance company, and you will 

need them to prove losses claimed on your tax return.
After the Fire 5

The first days of recovery

 | The value of your home and personal belongings

Talk with your insurance company about how to learn the value 

of your home and property.

 | Replacing valuable documents and records

You may want to replace many of the following documents if 

they were destroyed or lost in the fire:

ĵ Driver’s license.

ĵ Auto registration.

ĵ Titles and deeds.

ĵ Insurance policies.

ĵ Military discharge papers.

ĵ Passports.

ĵ Birth, death and 

marriage certificates.

ĵ Divorce papers.

ĵ Social security or 

Medicare cards.

ĵ Credit cards.

ĵ Stocks and bonds.

ĵ Wills.

ĵ Medical records.

ĵ Warranties.

ĵ Income tax records.

ĵ Citizenship papers.

 | Replacing money

Handle burnt money as little as possible. Try to place each bill 

or part of a bill in plastic wrap to help preserve it. If money is 

only partly burnt — if half or more is still OK — you can take it 

to your regional Federal Reserve Bank to get it replaced. Ask 

your bank for the one nearest you.

You can also send the burnt money to the Treasury.

For personal delivery and nonpostal couriers, e.g. FedEx/UPS, 

send to:

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

MCD/OFM, Room 344A

14th and C Streets SW

Washington, DC 20228

Personal deliveries of mutilated currency to the Bureau of 

Engraving and Printing are accepted between the hours of 

8-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-2 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 

holidays and other closings.
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For USPS Delivery, make sure it is mailed “registered mail, return 

receipt requested” and send to:

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

MCD/OFM, Room 344A

P.O. Box 37048

Washington, DC 20013

You can find more information about replacing damaged money 

at www.moneyfactory.gov/submitaclaim.

To replace U.S. savings bonds that have been destroyed or 

mutilated, go to www.TreasuryDirect.gov/forms/sav1048.pdf 

and download the FS Form 1048 – Claim for Lost, Stolen, or 

Destroyed United States Savings Bonds. 

Additional requirements

ĵ If the bond(s) is mutilated, carefully pack the pieces and 

submit them with the FS Form 1048.

ĵ If any registrant is deceased, provide a certified copy of the 

death certificate.

Send to:

Treasury Retail Securities Site

P.O. Box 214

Minneapolis, MN 55480-0214
After the Fire 7

Checklist for next steps after a fire

© Contact your local disaster relief service, such as the 

American Red Cross. They will help you find food, clothing, 

medicine and a place to stay.

© If you have insurance, contact your insurance company.

Ý Ask what you should do to keep your home safe until 

it is repaired.

Ý Ask who you should talk to about cleaning up your 

home.

© If you are not insured, try contacting community groups 

for aid and assistance.

© Check with the fire department to make sure that your 

home is safe to enter. Be very careful when you go inside. 

Floors and walls may not be as safe as they look.

© Contact your landlord or mortgage company to report the 

fire.

© Try to find valuable documents and records.

© If you leave your home, call the local police department to 

let them know the site will be vacant.

© Begin saving receipts for any money that you spend related 

to the fire loss. The receipts may be needed later by the 

insurance company and to prove any losses claimed on 

your income tax.

© Check with an accountant or the IRS about special benefits 

for people recovering from fire loss.


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Important information

Date of fire: _____________________________

Time of fire: _____________________________

Location of fire: _____________________________

Name of fire department:

Address of fire department:

Fire department 

nonemergency number: _____________________________

Fire incident report number: _____________________________

Fire marshal or fire investigator: _____________________________

Insurance company: _____________________________

Insurance company 

telephone number: _____________________________

Insurance policy number: _____________________________

Vehicle identification number (VIN) for cars, trucks and 

motorcycles destroyed:



U.S. Fire Administration

16825 South Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

www.usfa.fema.gov