You see reports of fires on the news. What happens if it happens to you in real-time though? A lot of people might not know how to act or respond. That is why I have provided a few simple tips and suggestions you can use until the professionals get there to put the fire out.

1) The first thing you should do is look at your walls. There is probably be some damage done there. You can use bleach or another detergent to clean your walls. It is simple but effective. You are going to find soot on the surfaces. Wipe it clean before you buff the area with bleach. Soot is greasy. You do not want that to mix in with your detergents. Do not worry about re-painting the area. You can do that later.

You can use this link to help you get started. This is a necessary part of storm damage cleanup.

2) Fires cause a lot of mold and mildew to develop. Expect it. You need to know how to clean it correctly. This link  will give you a fresh place to start. Do a Google search for any information you are missing. You need to clean it up as soon as possible. It is a bad idea to let mold and mildew sit for a prolonged period.

FYI: I recommend letting the professional dealing with the advanced cases of mold and mildew. You can cause physical harm to yourself trying to take care of it. Air out the rooms as soon as you can. That is going to help get the smoke and residue out.

3) Your floors and carpet are going to need a makeover. Water is going to seep into the carpets. That is going to cause damage later. I recommend that you rip everything up. Spend less time worrying about the money because you will replace some of the floors.

4) Your clothing is going to suffer from the fire, so inspect your closets once the smoke has cleared. Try not to throw the clothes into the washer. The grease is going to get on everything. You might want to consider taking your clothes to a dry cleaner instead. There are some items you will not be able to save, so do not even try.

5) Your dishes will also need cleaned. I suggest you look in the storage cabinets too. The smoke has a way of making its way to out-of-reach places.
Soak the dishes in bleach and water for at least 20 minutes. Scrub them afterward as an extra safety measure.

Conclusion

When in doubt, throw it out. It is not worth spending the rest of your life trying to scrub a dish clean. It might be your favorite, but some things are not meant to last.