WHAT TO DO IF YOUR HOUSE CATCHES FIRE

admin | January 8, 2021

The very thought of our home catching fire is one of the most tragic things we could imagine. Right from the moment that smoke alarm goes off signalling that something has gone wrong, it also means that things are going to be different for a while and you need to prepare to face the worst.
With no doubt that things are going to be confusing after a house-fire, Veegaland Homes, the most trusted builders in Kerala are here to help you out with a fire checklist, through which you can protect your home and restore it and get things back to normal at the earliest.

• Evacuate

Once the fire has broken out, immediately pull the nearest fire alarm before you exit the building and be sure to check the doors for heat before opening them and ensure that there is no fire or any danger on the other side.
In case of smoke in the atmosphere, try to stay low to the ground, especially your head and reduce inhalation exposure. In case you feel disoriented, keep a hand on the wall and move to the nearest exit. This is the first step in the after fire checklist.

• Don’t panic!

Once the fire is out, it can take some time to comprehend the extent of the damage the fire has caused and the experience can be frightening and you should make sure not to panic.
Take a deep breath and make yourself comprehend that you are at the very beginning of a long process. As stress and anxiousness won’t help the process go faster or help you return to your past life, decide to slow down and give time to the decisions you make.

• Call for help

Once away and clear from all potential danger, you need to get out of the building or home and should call for professional or emergency help and report the fire to the concerned authorities.

Once evacuated and safe, you can also update your voicemail updating your plans so that your loved ones can locate you and know your status, in case your phone dies. With the fire department’s actions prone to cause additional damage (water damage), accept that their efforts are necessary to stop the fire.

• Find a safe place to stay

Once a fire breaks out at your home, no matter the size of the blaze or the extent of damage it has caused, you will be required to stay somewhere else for at least a couple of days. If the fire is large and has caused a huge damage, a long-term housing situation will also need to be found.
Breaking out of a fire makes it necessary that every property needs to be thoroughly checked and cleaned from soot, smoke, ash and burned materials before it’s safe to reoccupy. Chemicals in the air from the smoke can also make you sick or cause respiratory troubles and other health issues.

• Secure your property

Once you’ve reported the fire to emergency services and authorities, the next thing you should do is to make a call to your insurance agent or company. Informing them of the loss and damages to your property, you can ask for further guidance.
House insurance policies generally cover your home and your personal property in the unfortunate event of a fire. But once the fire is extinguished, most policies require you to make sure your home is secure from further damages or destruction.

• Restore your home

Once you have initiated the insurance procedures, they can authorize you to arrange a restoration company or agency to help you with the immediate restoration of your property, securing it from water damages, home break-ins or weather.
The emergency response team will first assess the damages caused to your room and will secure doors, windows, and other holes or openings to minimize further damage. They can also improve the ventilation of the property.

Veegaland Homes, the most reliable builders in Kerala, design and build homes that are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to realize a fine and secure living condition for its occupants or home-buyers.
Veegaland Kings Town, our apartment project in Thrippunithura, was recently awarded the National Safety Council Award in 2020 for facilitating all the safety measures required during the construction and after finishing the project.
Our upcoming apartment projects in Kochi have sample apartments equipped to provide the interested buyers with the look and feel of their dream home.