What to Do After a House Fire — First 72 Hours Checklist

Hour 0-6: Safety and immediate action

1. Make sure everyone is safe. Head count, medical attention for anyone injured. Smoke inhalation symptoms can present hours later.
2. Do not re-enter the structure until the fire department says it’s safe. Even after the flames are out, floors, stairs, and ceilings can collapse.
3. Secure pets. If pets escaped, start searching once it’s safe. If they’re accounted for, boarding or a friend’s house is better than keeping them near a smoke-damaged home.
4. Call a family member or friend. You will need help with logistics for the next few days.
5. Find lodging. Hotel or family. Your insurance ALE coverage will likely reimburse — keep every receipt.

Hour 6-24: Insurance and documentation

1. Call your insurance company. Get a claim number. Ask about ALE (Additional Living Expenses) coverage immediately — most policies cover hotel, food, and essentials from day 1.
2. Photograph everything you can see from the outside. Walls, roof, windows, debris, perimeter. These photos matter for the claim.
3. Call a restoration company. Even before the insurance adjuster visits, a restoration crew can board up windows and tarp the roof to prevent further water damage from rain or snow. Document your call time.
4. Do NOT discard anything that may be damaged. The adjuster needs to see it.
5. Request the fire report from the fire department. Most Utah County departments provide it in 3-5 business days for a small fee.

Day 1-3: Documentation and starting the restoration process

1. Return to the house with the restoration company for the first assessment (if the fire department has cleared re-entry). Wear PPE — N95 at minimum. Vault’s crew brings PPE for the homeowner on fire assessments.
2. Document room by room. Video walkthrough is ideal — slower than photos but captures context. Narrate what you see.
3. Make a list of destroyed contents. Furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing. Rough value for each. This becomes the contents claim.
4. Salvage important documents. Birth certificates, passports, titles, insurance papers, tax records. Store at a friend’s house or safe deposit box.
5. Replace medications that were in the fire. Smoke exposure can contaminate.
6. Notify your mortgage company. They may need to be a payee on the insurance check.
7. Start restoration once insurance approves scope. Smoke damage spreads deeper with time — the sooner cleanup starts, the less permanent damage.

Week 1 and beyond

1. Work the ALE paperwork. Keep a running log of displaced expenses. Insurance ALE usually reimburses the DIFFERENCE between normal cost of living and displacement cost.
2. Contents restoration. Clothing, upholstered furniture, and some electronics can often be cleaned. Decide early: send out to a contents facility, or discard and claim replacement value.
3. HVAC cleaning. Smoke penetrates ductwork and spreads throughout the house even in areas that didn’t burn. Full duct cleaning is standard after a fire.
4. Structural assessment. A structural engineer may be needed if the fire reached framing. Vault coordinates with licensed structural engineers in Utah County.
5. Scope agreement. Review the Vault scope and insurance scope line by line. Push back on anything that doesn’t match the damage you documented.

What Vault does on fire restoration

• Emergency board-up and roof tarp. First thing on arrival — prevent further water damage from weather.
• Structural cleaning. IICRC S700 standard. Soot removal from walls, ceilings, floors.
• Odor control. IICRC OCT-certified. Thermal fogging, hydroxyl generators, ozone (when occupants are out), source removal.
• HVAC cleaning. Full duct and system cleaning.
• Contents cleaning. On-site and off-site cleaning for salvageable items.
• Reconstruction. Same crew, same license. Drywall, flooring, cabinetry, paint.
• Insurance coordination. Xactimate scope, direct billing, adjuster meetings.