After a Small House Fire: Smoke and Soot Cleanup, Insurance Steps and Heating-Season Prevention
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What to do after a small house fire or smoke damage: when it is safe to go back in, what to photograph, how to handle soot without spreading it, how smoke damage and additional living expenses usually work with insurance, and NFPA heating-season tips to prevent the next fire.
When can I go back into my house after a fire?
Short answer: Only when the fire department or local fire authorities say it is safe to re-enter (American Red Cross). Before you go in, look for downed power lines, damaged gas lines and structural damage from the outside. If you smell gas or hear hissing, leave right away and call the fire department from a safe distance.
Does homeowners insurance cover smoke damage?
Short answer: Often, but it depends on your policy. The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner says standard homeowner and renter policies typically cover sudden and accidental smoke damage, such as from a kitchen fire or a neighbor's fire, usually under the same coverage as fire damage. Whether a specific claim is covered depends on your policy language and the facts, and only your insurer decides coverage.
Will insurance pay for a hotel after a house fire?
Short answer: Many homeowners and renter policies include additional living expenses (ALE), often listed as loss of use or Coverage D. The NAIC explains that ALE generally pays the difference between your normal living costs and your temporary ones when a covered loss makes the home unlivable, not all of your expenses, and policies have limits. Keep every receipt.
Should I clean soot myself?
Short answer: Carefully, and only for light residue. The American Red Cross says smoke odor and soot are hard to remove and the work may be best handled by professional fire restorers. Photograph everything first, avoid touching soot because it smears, and don't throw away damaged items until your adjuster has seen them.
The first hour: safety, then people
Call 911 if anyone is hurt or the fire isn't fully out. The American Red Cross says to give first aid where needed (cool and cover burns), get seriously injured people and animals to medical or veterinary care, let family know you are safe, and stay out of a fire-damaged home until local fire authorities say it is safe to re-enter. Throw away any food that was exposed to heat, smoke or soot.
Before you go back in
Check the outside first. The Red Cross advises looking for loose power lines, damaged gas lines, foundation cracks and other structural damage, and having a building inspector or contractor check the structure if you are unsure. Don't force a jammed door, because it may be helping hold the structure up. If you smell natural gas or propane or hear hissing, leave immediately and call the fire department once you are away from the house. Use a flashlight, never candles or another open flame, and check for smoke and embers throughout the home, including the attic.
Photograph everything before cleanup
Insurance regulators say to document before you clean. The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner advises taking photos and video, noting strong smoke odors, soot and staining, and listing the belongings affected, and not throwing anything away until the adjuster has finished the inspection. The Red Cross adds that you should keep damaged items, or parts of them, until the adjuster has visited, and not discard anything you plan to claim without discussing it with the adjuster first. Remember that firefighting usually leaves water damage too, so photograph wet ceilings, walls and floors as well. If you made a home inventory before the fire, pull it out now; if not, the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation suggests going room to room from memory with as much detail as you can.
Stop further damage, but don't rush permanent repairs
The Red Cross suggests temporary repairs such as covering holes, bracing walls and removing debris, and saving all receipts. The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation says to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage or theft, but not to rush into repairs or rebuilding before you get instructions from your insurance adjuster. In practice that means board-up, tarping, water extraction and securing the property, documented with before-and-after photos.
Soot and smoke odor: what you can do and what to leave to a pro
The Red Cross says smoke odors and soot are difficult to remove and the work may be best handled by professional fire restorers. If you do some of it yourself, its guidance is to avoid touching soot, because it smears and leaves oily stains; to use a shop vacuum without letting the nozzle touch the surface; to ventilate with open windows and fans, including the attic and other insulated spaces, since insulation often holds odor; and to wash hard surfaces with hot soapy water or a cleaner designed for soot, considering trisodium phosphate (TSP) where it is available and following directions for its safe use and disposal. Clothing and bedding may need multiple wash cycles without drying in between, and the Red Cross suggests first deciding whether an item is worth keeping. The Red Cross also says appliances soaked by floodwater should be checked by a professional before use, and the same caution makes sense for appliances soaked during firefighting. Smoke can travel through ductwork, so ask your insurer to include the HVAC system in the inspection.
Calling your insurer
Contact your insurance agent, broker or company as soon as you can to report how, when and where the damage happened (Red Cross). The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner suggests asking for a full smoke damage inspection that covers attics, crawl spaces, insulation and the HVAC system, asking which items need cleaning versus replacement, and requesting a reinspection if odor or residue shows up later, since smoke damage can be progressive. The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation notes that the insurer sends an adjuster at no cost to you, that you should not feel rushed to agree to a settlement, and that the first payment may be an emergency advance. If you have questions about how a claim is being handled, your state insurance department can help.
If you can't stay in the house
Many homeowner and renter policies include additional living expenses (ALE), often called loss of use or Coverage D. The NAIC explains that ALE generally pays only the difference between your normal living costs and your temporary ones, such as a hotel and reasonable restaurant meals, and that you remain responsible for costs like your mortgage. The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner lists examples such as extra meal costs, pet boarding, laundry and extra mileage. Limits and time caps vary by policy, so ask your insurer what yours includes, and keep every receipt.
Preventing a heating fire this season
Heating season is when these fires happen. NFPA reports that nearly half of home heating equipment fires (46%) occur from December through February. Its heating safety tips: keep anything that can burn at least three feet from furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves and space heaters; keep a three-foot kid-free zone around open fires and space heaters; never use your oven to heat your home; have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional; use a sturdy fireplace screen and let ashes cool before putting them in a metal container kept away from the house; install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms; and test smoke alarms at least once a month. For portable electric heaters, NFPA advises choosing one with the seal of a qualified testing laboratory, a thermostat, overheat protection and automatic tip-over shut-off, placing it on a solid, flat surface out of foot traffic, plugging it directly into a wall outlet (never an extension cord), and turning it off and unplugging it when you leave the room or go to bed.
How we can help
ClaimToRepair makes the insurance side easier and gets the repairs done. After a fire, one licensed local fire and smoke restoration pro can do a free inspection, document the soot, smoke and water damage with photos and an estimate you can share with your adjuster, and quote the cleanup and repairs. We don't file, negotiate or adjust claims, and only your insurer decides what is covered. If you need board-up, tarping or water extraction right now, use Get immediate help: the same-day option has a $50 dispatch fee that is refunded if no one arrives the same day and isn't applied to the cost of the job, or you can schedule a visit instead.
Sources
- American Red Cross: What to Do After a Home Fire
- American Red Cross: Checking Your Home After a Fire
- American Red Cross: Disaster Cleanup and Repair for Your Home (smoke damage)
- Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner: Smoke damage and your homeowner or renter insurance
- Oregon Division of Financial Regulation: Filing a homeowner claim after a fire (PDF)
- American Red Cross: Recovering Financially After a Disaster
- NAIC: What are additional living expenses and how can insurance help?
- NFPA: Safety with heating equipment
- NFPA: Heating safety tip sheet (PDF)
- NFPA: Portable electric space heater safety tips (PDF)
General information only, not legal or insurance advice. Coverage depends on your policy.