What to Do After a Fire in Nixa, Missouri

For homeowners in Southwest Missouri, disaster can come in several different forms. However, few emergencies are more frightening and overwhelming than a fire. Even after the flames are put out and the smoke has cleared, many homeowners are left staring at the damage and wondering what they are supposed to do next.

If you’ve experienced a house fire in Nixa or anywhere in Southwest Missouri, the steps you take during the first few hours and days after the fire can have a major impact on the recovery process.

At Clean Green Restoration, we’re here to help you navigate this challenging process, starting with a practical guide to what you should do after a fire, what you should avoid doing, and what to expect from professional fire damage restoration.

First: Make Sure Everyone Is Safe

The only things in a home that aren’t replaceable are the people and pets who live there. While losing your property and belongings is understandably devastating, they aren’t worth risking your safety for.

Even after the flames are gone, a fire-damaged home can still contain serious hazards. The structural integrity of the floors, walls, and ceiling might be compromised. Gas lines might have leaks, and electrical wiring could be exposed. That’s why it’s critical to never re-enter your home until after the fire department gives the all-clear.

When disaster strikes, your first and most important priority is making sure everyone makes it out safely and stays safe throughout the rest of the process. Everything else is a secondary concern.

Call Your Insurance Company

Once everyone is safe, the first call you should make is to your homeowner’s insurance provider.

Report that a fire has occurred, and your provider will explain how to begin the claims process. Be sure to take notes from every conversation, including the name of the person you spoke with and what was discussed.

If it is safe to do so, try to photograph and record as much of the damage as possible before any damaged materials or belongings are removed. Having photos and videos of the damage will make the claims process go more smoothly. You should also avoid throwing things away even if they appear completely ruined, since your insurance company may want to document those items before they are discarded.

Save receipts for expenses related to the loss as well. Depending on your policy, temporary lodging, emergency repairs, and other expenses may be covered.

Secure the Property

Sometimes, a fire can leave your home exposed to additional damage if you don’t take the appropriate precautions. Broken windows, damaged doors, and holes in the walls or roof can allow everything from rain to animals to unauthorized people to enter the home. Even a relatively small opening can turn into a larger problem if another Southwest Missouri storm rolls through before repairs begin.

One of the best ways to keep your property secured after a fire is emergency board-up and roof tarping. At Clean Green Restoration, we can help you determine if this step is necessary for protecting your property and swiftly provide emergency board-up and roof tarping when needed.

It isn’t always necessary, but there are cases where precautions like this can prevent the original fire loss from becoming an even larger restoration project.

Don't Try to Clean Up Soot Yourself

Once you’re allowed back into the home, it might be tempting to grab a sponge or vacuum cleaner and start trying to clean up the soot yourself. However, tackling the cleanup on your own is likely to make the situation worse, not better.

Different materials produce different types of smoke and residue, and they don’t all respond to the same cleaning methods. If you don’t use the right equipment and products for the job, you can end up smearing soot deeper into the walls and other surfaces instead of cleaning it.

Smoke creates another challenge since it can travel far beyond the area where the fire actually occurred. Smoke particles can enter wall cavities, insulation, furniture, carpeting, clothing, and HVAC systems, and it’s usually impossible to identify all the areas where smoke damage has occurred without a professional inspection.

Fire damage restoration is a big, complex job. If you want to ensure that your home is fully restored without making the damage even worse, it’s better to leave it to the professionals.

Don’t Forget About Water Damage

It’s an unfortunate yet unavoidable irony that fire damage often results in water damage, too.

Depending on the size of the fire, the fire department might have to use large amounts of water to extinguish it. However, the same water that stops the fire from causing more damage can cause damage of its own, soaking into drywall, insulation, carpet, flooring, cabinets, and more.

That’s why a complete fire damage assessment should look for both fire damage and water damage. Wet building materials may need to be dried or removed while smoke and soot cleanup is underway.

What About Your Belongings?

Every house fire is different. In some cases, everything inside the home will be a total loss. In other cases, though, some of your belongings may be salvageable.

Evaluate each item individually. Some items can be professionally cleaned and restored. Others may be too heavily damaged to save.

When it comes to food, beverages, and medication, don’t assume they are safe just because the packaging appears to be intact. Heat, smoke, and firefighting chemicals can sometimes damage food and medicine even if the packaging isn’t destroyed.

And again, be sure to document any major belongings before they are discarded, as this will be important for your insurance claim.

At Clean Green Restoration, we always strive to help homeowners save and restore as many of their belongings as possible. Saving everything isn’t always feasible, but it is worth trying.

What Professional Fire Damage Restoration Looks Like

Every restoration project is unique, but here are the steps that the process typically entails:

1. Emergency Board-Up and Tarping

If the fire has left the property exposed, openings are secured to help prevent additional damage.

2. Damage Assessment and Documentation

The affected areas are inspected to determine the extent of the damage. Photos and documentation are gathered for the restoration plan and insurance process.

3. Debris Removal and Structural Cleaning

Materials that cannot be restored may need to be removed. Remaining structural surfaces are cleaned using methods appropriate for the type of residue that is present.

4. Smoke and Soot Treatment

Smoke residue is removed from affected surfaces and materials. Because smoke can travel throughout a structure, areas outside the immediate burn zone may also require attention.

5. Odor Elimination

Simply painting over smoke damage or spraying air freshener is not enough. To completely remove the smoky odor from your home, professional odor treatment will likely be required. This can include HEPA filtration, hydroxyl generators, thermal fogging, ozone treatment, or other methods depending on the property and the source of the odor. The goal isn’t just to mask the odor but to eliminate it at the source.

6. Reconstruction

Once the property has been cleaned and damaged materials have been removed, it’s time for the rebuild to begin. That may include replacing drywall and insulation, repairing framing, installing flooring, rebuilding ceilings, repairing roofing, replacing doors or windows, painting, and completing other construction necessary to return the home to its pre-loss condition.

Clean Green Restoration handles both the restoration and reconstruction portions of a fire loss, which means homeowners do not have to finish cleanup and then begin searching for a separate contractor to rebuild the property.

Fire Damage Help in Nixa and Southwest Missouri

If your home has been damaged by a fire, you don’t have to figure out the restoration process alone.

Clean Green Restoration is a locally owned, family-operated restoration company based in Nixa and serving homeowners throughout Southwest Missouri. Our team provides 24/7 emergency response and can handle the entire restoration and reconstruction process, from the initial damage assessment to full reconstruction.

In the aftermath of a house fire, homeowners have enough to worry about. That’s why we do everything we can to make the process easy and pain-free.

If you need help after a fire in Nixa, Springfield, Ozark, Branson, Republic, or the surrounding Southwest Missouri area, call Clean Green Restoration 24/7 at (417) 300-5062.

Written by Tarah McNeill, Co-Owner, Clean Green Restoration