House Fire Preparedness: What should I do?

No one ever really thinks that their house will be the one that burns down because that seems like something that happens to other people. With that mindset, you are setting yourself up for more damage and risking the lives of yourself and your family. It is important to consider that anything can happen to anyone, house fires don’t care who you are. You need to be prepared because it can make all the difference in the event that an emergency happens.

Be sure to make sure every room in your home has a smoke alarm and that all smoke alarms have working batteries. In addition to smoke alarms, it is also important that you keep fire extinguishers around the house and make sure every family member knows how to use them. Do your best to keep your home free of fire hazards.

In the unfortunate event that your house does go on fire, use the back of your hand to feel whether the door is hot. This will allow you to determine if it is safe to exit. Do not use an elevator if your apartment building is on fire and only use the stairs.

If your home is damaged in a fire, make sure that you contact your insurance company immediately and take pictures of the damage. Don’t re-enter your house until fire officials say it is safe.

The Law Office of Craig A. Blumberg is an experienced New York City insurance law firm. If you require quality assistance after having suffered property loss, please contact our firm to schedule a free initial consultation.