Fire Department

602 - What To Do After a Fire

After a fire, there are certain safety standards that should be observed. The City of Santa Monica Fire Department offers these recommendations for the safety of you and your family:

• Do not enter a fire-damaged building unless authorities say it is safe.
• When entering a fire-damaged building, look for signs of heat or smoke.
• Have an electrician check your household wiring before the current is turned back on. Do not attempt to reconnect any utilities yourself. Leave this to the fire department and other authorities.
• Beware of structural damage. Roofs and floors may be weakened and need repair.
• Contact your local disaster relief service, such as the American Red Cross or Salvation Army, if you need housing, food, or personal items which were destroyed in the fire.
• Call your insurance agent.
• Keep records of all clean-up and repair costs. Receipts are important for both insurance and income tax claims.
• Do not throw away any damaged goods until an official inventory has been taken. All damages are taken into consideration by your insurance company.
• If you're a tenant, contact the landlord. It is the property owner's responsibility to prevent further loss or damage to the site.
• Secure personal belongings or move them to another location.
• Discard food, beverages and medicines that have been exposed to heat, smoke or soot. Refrigerators and freezers left closed hold their temperature for a short time. However, do not attempt to refreeze food that has thawed.
• If you have a safe or strong box, do not try to open it. It can hold intense heat for several hours. If the door is opened before the box has cooled, the entering air combined with the high internal temperature can cause the contents to burst into flames.
• If a building inspector says the dwelling is unsafe and you must leave your home:
• Ask local police to watch the property during your absence.
• Take with you identification, medicines, glasses, jewelry, credit cards, checkbooks, insurance policies and financial records.
• Notify friends, relatives, police and fire departments, your insurance agent, the mortgage company, utility companies, delivery services, employers, schools and the post office of your whereabouts.