The run from Bonfire Night into winter brings fireworks, candles, open fires and portable heaters into more homes. If the worst has happened and you have had a fire, the days afterwards can feel like a blur of phone calls and decisions you never expected to make.
This guide sets out what to do first, in a sensible order, and how to avoid weakening your insurance claim while you do it. For the full detail of what a claim can include, see our page on fire damage insurance claims.
Before anything else: safety and the incident handover
Do not go back inside until the fire and rescue service has told you it is safe. When the fire is out, the officer in charge will normally give you an incident handover, either as a document or verbally. It tells you whether you can re-enter, whether your gas, electricity, oil or water has been turned off, how much damage was caused, and your incident number.
Keep that number safe. You will need it for your insurance claim. If you were not at home, the officer may have left the information with a friend or neighbour.
Fire can weaken the structure of a building. The fire service may ask a council building inspector to check the property, and if it is judged unsafe it can be sealed off. In that case you will not be allowed in, and you will need somewhere else to stay.
Even once you are allowed back, do not turn on utilities that have been shut off, or use appliances that have been exposed to fire or water, until a qualified person has checked them.
Look after the people first
The effects of breathing hot smoke may only show several hours later. If anyone feels unwell, call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency. Anyone with asthma, allergies or breathing difficulties should stay away from the property until the air has cleared.
Fire services also advise against taking risks with food, drink or medicine that has been exposed to heat or smoke. Prescription medicines that may be damaged should go back to a pharmacy for safe disposal, and your GP can help with replacements. Take pets affected by smoke to a vet as soon as you can.
Tell your insurer as soon as you can
Call your insurer as soon as you are able to. Many have 24 hour emergency lines. Give the facts: when it happened, where you are now, and the incident number. If your policy documents were lost in the fire, ask for a replacement copy.
If you do not know how the fire started, say so. It is better to say you do not know than to guess at a cause, because an early guess can be hard to take back later.
If you rent, contact your landlord or letting agent straight away, so they can notify their buildings insurer. Your own belongings are usually a matter for your contents policy, if you have one.
Depending on the extent of the damage, the insurer may send a loss adjuster, and the British Red Cross says this is usually within 48 hours. The adjuster is instructed by the insurer. Our page on loss assessors and loss adjusters explains who works for whom.
Secure the property
Once the crews leave, the property is back in your hands. If doors or windows have been damaged, they need boarding up to stop people getting in, particularly at ground floor level. Your insurer may arrange this for you, so ask first. If you have to arrange it yourself, keep the invoice and take a photo before the work starts.
Once it is safe, opening windows and doors helps to reduce smoke and fumes, as long as the property stays secure.
Record everything before it moves
Your insurer may want to inspect the damage before anything is moved or cleared. Check with them before cleaning up, and in the meantime build your record.
- Photograph and video every room when it is safe to go in, including rooms the fire never reached
- Start a list of damaged items, room by room, while your memory is fresh
- Keep damaged items until they have been assessed, unless they are a danger to health
- Keep every receipt, from emergency boarding to clothes and meals
- Get written quotes for building work and redecoration when asked, and check how many your insurer wants, as it is often three
If you pay a firm to remove waste, check its waste carrier licence on the Environment Agency's website.
Smoke and water travel further than the flames
The burnt room is often only part of the loss. Smoke and soot can move through a whole house, marking paintwork and soft furnishings and getting into clothing and electronics in rooms that look almost untouched. The water used to put the fire out can do its own damage too, especially to floors and ceilings below.
This is where fire claims tend to be under-recorded. People claim for what is obviously burnt and miss what has been contaminated. Most home insurance policies cover associated smoke damage alongside the fire itself, but check your wording, and ask your insurer or landlord about specialist fire damage cleaning before you start scrubbing. If you do have to do some of the cleaning yourself, wear protective clothing, including a mask and gloves.
Somewhere to stay and essentials to buy
If you cannot stay in your home, tell your insurer early, as they may arrange a hotel or similar and may be able to give you a cash advance for essentials. Check before you book anything yourself. Our guide to alternative accommodation during a home insurance claim goes through what is usually covered, including pets, storage and staying with family.
If you do not have insurance, contact your local council's emergency housing team. The British Red Cross also offers support to people affected by house fires.
Mistakes that weaken a fire claim
Most of these are understandable, and most are avoidable.
- Clearing up or throwing things away before the damage has been assessed
- Claiming only for what is burnt, and missing smoke, soot and water damage elsewhere
- Forgetting the knock-on costs, such as cleaning, debris removal and alternative accommodation
- Starting permanent repairs before the insurer has agreed them
- Accepting the first offer without knowing what the policy covers
Our guide on how to claim on your home insurance covers the rest of the process, for any type of damage.
Getting help with a fire damage claim
A serious fire is one of the situations where a claim can quickly become complex, with structural repairs, contents, cleaning and temporary housing all running at once. As loss assessors, we work for you and not the insurer. We carry out our own assessment, document the smoke and water damage as well as the fire, and deal with the insurer and their loss adjuster on your behalf. Landlords can read more on our landlords page, and our claims process sets out each stage.
We provide 24/7 emergency guidance and the initial consultation is free. If you have had a fire, get in touch and we will talk you through your next steps.
This article is general information about how home insurance claims work in the UK. It is not advice on your individual claim, which will turn on your own policy wording and circumstances. For advice on your situation, speak to our team.
