Checking Your Home after a Fire

2/4/2020 (Permalink)

Check for Structural Damage

• Check the outside of your home before you enter. Look for loose power lines, broken or damaged gas lines, foundation cracks, missing support beams or other damage. Damage on the outside can indicate a serious problem inside. Ask a building inspector or contractor to check the structure before you enter.
• If the door is jammed, don’t force it open – it may be providing support to the rest of your home. Find another way to get inside.
• Damaged locks should be taken apart and wiped with oil. If locks can’t be removed, squirt machine oil through a bolt opening or keyhole, and work the knob to distribute the oil. Hinges should also be thoroughly cleaned and oiled.
• Sniff for gas. If you detect natural or propane gas, or hear a hissing noise, leave the property immediately and get well away from it. Call the fire department after you reach safety.
• If you have a propane tank system, turn off all valves and contact a propane supplier to check the system out before you use it again.

https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/fire/checking-home-after-fire.html

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