Having a home fire is a devastating event, even if the fire does not destroy your entire house. Small fires inside homes can cause a lot of damage, including smoke damage. If you just experienced a fire in your house, you probably want to know if your belongings are salvageable. In some cases, they are, but there are also times they are not.
It depends on the severity of the fire
The first thing to understand about salvaging your belongings is that what you can salvage will depend on the severity of the fire. If the fire destroyed your entire home, you probably would not be able to get anything out of the house. If the fire was contained to just one room, such as the kitchen, you might be able to salvage most of the things that were not in this room.
You can usually salvage hard-surfaced items
In most cases, people can salvage most of the hard-surfaced items they had in their homes after minor fires. If the fire was in your kitchen, there is a good chance you will not have to replace the cabinets and kitchen table, for example. You might also be able to salvage your kitchen items, such as plates and glasses.
You should throw away certain things
There are a lot of things you will have to get rid of though, after a fire, and this includes all the food in the refrigerator and pantry. If you have medications in the kitchen, or near it, you should also throw them away. Additionally, you will need to throw away any items made of linen, such as curtains, towels, and rugs.
You will need to replace water-damaged items
The other thing to realize is that when there is a fire, there is also water. Water is used to put out fires, and water can damage things too. If water was sprayed on your appliances, for example, you will need to replace them. Water-damaged appliances are not safe to use, and they may not even work anymore. Keep in mind, too, that if you do not clean up the water right away, it could also damage other things in your home, such as the flooring or cabinets.
If you just had a fire and want to salvage as much as you can from your home, contact a fire damage restoration company to find out how they can help you.
