The First 24 Hours After a House Fire: What to Do and What to Avoid

The decisions made in the first 24 hours after a house fire determine how much of the home and its contents can be saved. Most homeowners have never been through a house fire before and have no frame of reference for what to do. This guide provides it.

Is It Safe to Re-Enter After a Fire?

Do not re-enter your home after a fire until the fire department has declared the structure safe for entry. This is not a recommendation. It is a safety requirement.

Post-fire structures present multiple hazards that are not visible to the untrained eye: structurally compromised framing and floors, electrical systems that may still be energized, residual combustion products in the air, and instability in burned sections of the structure. The fire department's clearance is the entry standard.

What Should I Do in the First Hour After a Fire?

1. Call 911 if you have not already and ensure everyone is accounted for and safe
2. Stay at a safe distance until the fire department arrives and controls the scene
3. Contact family members who may need to know what has happened
4. Call Cantt Restoration: (903) 251-9525 for emergency response: we can coordinate with the fire department and be ready to respond the moment the structure is cleared

What Happens When Cantt Restoration Arrives?

Our first action is documentation, not cleaning. Before anything is touched, before any contents are moved, the complete loss is recorded:

• Matterport 3D scanning of all affected areas in their original damaged condition
• High-resolution photography of all structural damage, soot patterns, and affected contents
• FLIR thermal imaging to identify heat and smoke migration in wall cavities and the HVAC system
• Contents inventory of every affected item with location and condition noted

We document what is actually there. Not more. Not less.

What Should I Avoid in the First 24 Hours?

• Do not turn on the HVAC system. Post-fire HVAC systems redistribute soot to every room, including rooms that were not fire-affected.
• Do not wipe soot from surfaces. Wiping dry soot spreads and sets contamination. Professional dry-cleaning sponge technique must come first.
• Do not use water to clean soot. Water applied to dry soot spreads and permanently sets it into porous surfaces.
• Do not discard anything before documentation. Items that have been discarded before documentation have no record in the loss.
• Do not let children or pets enter until professional assessment confirms it is appropriate.

An East Texas Story: A Tyler Family and the First Calls After a Kitchen Fire

A Tyler family had a kitchen fire that spread to the adjacent dining room before being extinguished. Within 30 minutes of the fire department clearing the scene, the homeowner had called Cantt Restoration and, following our guidance by phone, had turned off the HVAC system from the exterior thermostat and resisted the urge to wipe the soot from the kitchen counter surfaces.

Our team arrived within the hour. The documentation process took approximately two hours before work began. When we addressed the dining room walls, we found that the soot pattern on one wall indicated smoke had migrated into the adjacent bedroom through the top plate. Thermal imaging confirmed smoke infiltration in the bedroom wall cavity.

That bedroom discovery was only possible because nothing had been wiped or cleaned before our arrival. The documentation was complete. The scope was accurate. The restoration was complete.

The FEMA Guidance on Post-Fire Safety

The FEMA After Fire guide provides additional guidance on safety, documentation, and initial steps for homeowners following a fire loss. We recommend reviewing this resource alongside working with a professional restoration company.

Sometimes the damage is minimal and you might not need us. We will tell you that too.