How to Deal With Water Damage After a Fire at Your Business
1/30/2022 (Permalink)
How to Handle Water Damage in a Business After a Fire
After a fire occurs at your Monte Sereno, CA, business, you may find that the destruction is not limited to smoke or flame damage. While these will probably be present, you may also have to deal with flooding from the firefighting hoses, as they use a great deal of pressure. You may be unsure how to proceed with such issues after a fire; however, there are a few steps you can take to get your business up and running again as soon as possible.
Ensure the Building Is Safe to Enter
Before you can properly assess water damage to your business, it is important that you speak with firefighters first to ensure it is safe to enter the building. Water and fire can weaken a variety of structures, so you may want to ask the firefighters about the soundness of areas such as:
- Walls
- Floors, especially on upper levels
- The roof
Protecting yourself and anyone else who enters a building after a fire can reduce the risk of serious injury.
Take Photos
Since physical evidence of fire damage can be important to any insurance claim you file, you might want to take as many photos as possible. While your insurance agent does not have to be present for this, having him or her there may be helpful for answering any questions you have about your claim. Try to take photos from different angles to get the most detailed evidence possible.
Call In a Fire Restoration Specialist
Hiring a fire restoration company can help with cleaning up both fire and water damage. Water that comes from a fire hose sprays with a huge amount of pressure, which can flood entire rooms. A fire restoration company can assess the damage, advise you on cleanup details and restore your building so you can resume operations.
Your Monte Sereno, CA, business may suffer from more than fire damage after a blaze. Water and smoke can also affect the building, but the sooner you understand how to proceed with cleanup efforts, the sooner you can make repairs and return to work.