Frequently Lost Items During a Fire

4/27/2021 (Permalink)

A fire in your home, may not result in a total loss. Fire restoration specialists may be able to save a lot of the items in your home, but there are some things you will have to throw away. Having a prepared list of items that are frequently lost in a fire can serve as a starting checklist for belongings that need to be replaced.

List Of Items That Are Frequently Lost During a Fire

Documents

The good thing about replacing important documents is that you can find almost all of them online. You likely have digital copies of your income tax records, insurance information, and legal documents. However, you need to have hard copies of certain documents:

• Driver’s license
• Passport
• Titles and deeds
• Social security cards
• Health insurance cards

If these items are listed as part of the fire damage to your home, start the process of replacing them right away.

Food

You will likely need to throw away all food if the fire was anywhere near your kitchen. The refrigerator and freezer may keep food fresh under normal circumstances, but it is unlikely that they were able to withstand the fire's blaze well enough to protect the food inside during a fire. Non-perishable items must be tossed as well. Plastic and cardboard are no match for smoke and soot. Even the food in glass jars and aluminum cans can be spoiled by the high heat of a house fire. It is better to get rid of food altogether than take chances that it has gone bad.

Toiletries

Just as you would not want to consume anything that the fire or extinguishing agents have touched, you also don't want to put anything from the fire on your body. This includes cosmetics, soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and hair styling products. It's also necessary to throw away any medication that could have been subject to high temperatures or toxic fumes.

Many items in your home can be salvaged after a fire, but some must be replaced. Mitigation professionals can help you determine what to throw away and what to keep.