Navigating Fire Damage: Recovering Contents

Recovering Contents from Fire Damage

Our team understands that after a fire, the loss extends beyond just the structure—it reaches every item that makes a space feel like home or a business function seamlessly. We aid in creating a detailed content inventory of all affected items, ensuring nothing is overlooked. With this comprehensive list in hand, we then provide a rigorous evaluation to insurance carriers. This allows us to advocate for our clients to obtain full reimbursement for each content item. Our commitment is to secure recovery, not just from the structural loss, but from the personal and operational disruptions the fire may have caused.

Creating Content Inventory

Most homeowners or business owners haven’t prepared a detailed inventory of their possessions before experiencing a substantial loss — and that’s perfectly understandable. Our team excels in employing innovative methods to assist in assembling a thorough inventory. Below are some strategies and suggestions we offer our clients following a major fire incident:

Replacing Vital Documents

While our team is committed to assisting with a wide range of post-loss concerns, we cannot directly help in replacing personal identification and essential documents. However, we are more than happy to guide you in the right direction to secure replacements. Below is a handy list detailing where you can obtain replacements for various vital documents:

 

Vital documents Where to get a replacement
Drivers License or State Id Local Department of Motor Vehicles
Government Id Locate your nearest Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS) site
Military Discharge Papers Department of Veterans Affairs
1-800-827-1000
Passports State Department—Passport Services
1-202-955-0430
Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificates Appropriate State Bureau of Records
Social Security or Medicare Cards Local Social Security Office
1-800-772-1213
Credit Cards Mastercard & Visa: Contact the issuing financial institution
American Express: 1-800-441-0519
Discover: 1-800-DISCOVER (1-800-347-2683)
Titles to Deeds Records department of the area/county in which the property is located
Stocks and Bonds Issuing company or your broker
Wills Attorney or probate court where the will was filed
Income Tax Records Internal Revenue Services (IRS): 1-800-829-1040
Accountant
Citizenship Papers Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services: 1-800-375-5283
Mortgage Papers Lending Institution

 

Cleaning & Removing Smoke Odor

Assistance might be available to help clean and eliminate smoke odors from items affected by the fire. This depends on the specifics of your insurance policy and the capabilities of your mitigation service provider. To make things easier for you, we’ve shared a few helpful hints to support the cleanup procedure when recovering contents from fire damage: