What to do in the three days after a fire

Hour zero to hour twelve

Once the fire is out and everyone is accounted for, the priorities are safety, security and documentation, in that order.

Do not re-enter until the fire department says so. Structural members can be compromised in ways that are invisible from the ground, and post-fire atmospheres carry particulates and combustion byproducts that an ordinary dust mask does not filter.

Call your insurer. Not to settle anything, just to open the claim and get the claim number. Ask specifically about additional living expense coverage, which pays for temporary accommodation, and keep every receipt from that moment forward.

Get the structure secured. Board-up of openings and tarping of a compromised roof. Most policies require reasonable steps to prevent further damage, so this is both a practical and a contractual obligation.

In cold months, winterize. A Colorado house with no heat in January will have burst supply lines within a couple of days. Either drain the system or arrange temporary heat. This is the single most common way a fire loss doubles in size, and it is entirely avoidable.

Day one to day three: the salvage window

Soot is acidic. Within 24 hours it begins etching glass and discoloring plastics and finishes. Within 72 hours it corrodes metal fixtures and appliances, and bonds into porous surfaces where it becomes permanent. Fabric and upholstery that could have been cleaned on day one may be unrecoverable by day five.

That is the entire argument for fast professional response. The work that happens in this window — pre-cleaning of surfaces, removal of contents to a controlled environment, corrosion inhibitors on metal — is what determines the size of the eventual replacement bill.

The other clock running at the same time is water. Suppression water sitting in a structure starts the same 24 to 48 hour mold timeline as any other water loss, which means extraction and structural drying need to start while the soot work is being planned, not after.

What to document before anything moves

Photograph and video every room, wide and close, including rooms that look untouched — smoke travels and you will want the evidence later. Photograph the exterior from all sides. Make a written inventory of contents as they are packed out, with condition noted, rather than reconstructing it from memory months later.

Do not throw anything away, including items that are obviously destroyed, until the adjuster has documented them. A disposed item is a disputed line.

What comes next

Once the structure is secure, dry and documented, the longer job begins: soot cleaning matched to soot type, odor removal at source, HVAC decontamination, contents restoration, and rebuild. That whole sequence is on the fire and smoke damage restoration page.

For a printable step-by-step version of the first 48 hours, see the fire damage cleanup checklist. For how the claim is built and what adjusters expect, see the insurance claims guide.