24/7 Emergency Service
Don’t Get Caught With No Way Out!
In the United States, firefighters are called every sixty seconds to respond to a house fire. Worse, it is reported that an individual is killed in a house fire every three hours. In a fire, every second counts. It is important to react rapidly and accordingly, so that everyone can safely escape the fire. An escape plan can get you and your family out of the home quickly and save lives.
Follow these steps when creating your escape plan:
- Practice escaping from EVERY room in the home: The best escape plans have two ways out of each room and are practiced monthly.
- Security bars require special precautions: If you have security bars on doors or windows, ensure they have a “quick-release” latch and that everyone in your family knows how to use them.
- IMMEDIATELY leave the home: Designate an individual to call 911 from a neighbor’s home and avoid the temptation to save property.
- NEVER open doors that are too hot to the touch: Use the back of your hand to feel the top of the door, the doorknob, and the crack between the door and the door frame. If it’s hot, use your secondary escape route.
- Get down low: More people succumb to smoke and toxins in the air before burns. Always remember, “Bad air up, good air down. Stay low and go.”
- ONCE OUT, STAY OUT! Designate a meeting place outside and take attendance. NEVER go back into the home.
- Install working smoke detectors in the home: Make sure there are smoke alarms on each story of the home, in each bedroom, and in hallways if you sleep with your bedroom door closed. Replace batteries once a year, and test smoke alarms once a month.
SERVPRO of Fall River is locally owned and operated—so we are part of the Fall River community too. We are also part of a national network of over 1,700 SERVPRO Franchises and special Disaster Recovery Teams strategically located throughout the country to respond to large-scale disasters.
What you can do until help arrives
After any fire damage situation, your primary focus should be safety first:
- Is it safe to stay in the house?
- Electrical and "slip and fall" hazards are some of the most prevalent concerns.
- Only do activities that are safe for you to perform.
- Wet materials can be VERY heavy. Be careful!
What To Do After A Fire
- Limit movement in the home to prevent soot particles from being embedded into upholstery and carpets.
- Keep hands clean so as not to further soil upholstery, walls and woodwork.
- Place clean towels or old linens on rugs, upholstery and carpet traffic areas.
- If electricity is off, empty freezer and refrigerator and prop doors open.
- Clean and protect chrome with light coating of petroleum jelly or oil.
- Wash houseplants on both sides of leaves.
- Change HVAC filter.
- Tape double layers of cheesecloth over air registers.
What NOT To Do After A Fire
- Don't attempt to wash any walls or painted surfaces or shampoo carpet or upholstery without contacting us.
- Don't attempt to clean any electrical appliances that may have been close to fire, heat or water without consulting an authorized repair service.
- Don't use any canned or packaged food or beverages that may have been stored near the fire, heat or water.
- Don't turn on ceiling fixtures if ceiling is wet. The wiring may be damaged.
- Don't send garments to an ordinary dry cleaner. Improper cleaning may set smoke odor.
Our Fire Damage Restoration Services
Since each smoke and fire damage situation is a little different, each one requires a unique solution tailored for the specific conditions. When various materials burn, the soot and residue they create differs greatly and requires a specific cleaning procedure. The steps listed below illustrate our process for the “typical” fire damage restoration. Learn more about our fire damage restoration process.
- Emergency Contact
- Inspection and Fire Damage Assessment
- Immediate Board-Up and Roof Tarp Service (if needed)
- Water Removal and Drying (if water damage is present)
- Removal of Smoke and Soot from All Surfaces
- Cleaning and Repair
- Restoration