What to Do After An Apartment Fire in Your Brooklyn Apartment

4/14/2021 (Permalink)

Call our office if you're dealing with an apartment fire in your Brooklyn home!

Damaging fires, unfortunately, happen every 24 seconds in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Apartments are no exception to this reality. In fact, an average of 382,397 fires that occur annually in the United States happen within residential properties, with many injuries as well.

Dealing with an emergency like this is extremely stressful and often unplanned for. Fortunately, SERVPRO of Williamsburg, Greenpoint is equipped to handle the aftermath of incidents like this in any size residential space, including apartments.

What do I do if there’s a fire in my apartment?

It's important to act immediately, but stay calm. You need to alert everyone in the apartment and make sure to leave the property immediately.

Use your pre-planned escape route if you have one, and consider developing one now if you don’t. 

When everyone is evacuating the building, make sure everyone stays low and crawls since smoke rises.

Safety Tips: Do's and Don'ts

• DON'T stop to retrieve any valuables or collectibles. 
• DO close the door to the room the fire started in and close doors as you continue to exit the building, if you can do so safely.
• DO check handles/door knobs for heat before grasping. For example, touch it with the back of your hand. If the door is warm, then there is likely fire behind it and you must find an alternative route to exit the building. 
• DON'T attempt to extinguish a fire unless you are trained to do so. 
• DON'T go back into the building. 
• DO call the fire department as soon as you safely have the opportunity to do so. If there is anyone remaining in the building, make sure to inform them of this. 

What should I do after the fire department leaves?

Once the fire is extinguished and the dust settles, call a restoration company immediately to address the damage. Only those who are equipped to handle the water, smoke and fire damage your apartment has suffered should be entering the building and handling the situation. You will also want to get in touch with your insurance company. Did you know? SERVPRO of Williamsburg, Greenpoint works with all insurance companies.

Why should I choose SERVPRO for my Fire Restoration Needs?

• We offer a wide-variety of services: Content Cleaning, Technology Restoration, Document Restoration, Dry-Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, Smoke/Soot Removal, Move-In/Out, and other services to help with getting your space back to normal after a fire.

What's more? We work closely with your family and the various adjusters to make sure that the job is done right.  We understand that your apartment needs to be cared for and respected during this difficult time. We pride ourselves on limiting our interruption into your lives. When possible, we will work around your schedule so that the day-to-day routine of your family is not disrupted further. 

What steps do we take to handle fire damage restoration? 

SERVPRO provides Structural Cleaning and Content Cleaning for Williamsburg and Greenpoint homes that have been affected by Smoke or Fire Damage.