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After The
Fire
Getting Your Life Back to Normal By Mac McCoy Last fall, while driving through Mississippi, my wife and I saw smoke a few miles away. After driving a few more minutes, traffic came to a halt. We could see the smoke up ahead and it was starting to turn gray-a sure sign that the fire was being extinguished. However, being a firefighter for most of my adult life, as I sat in traffic I couldn't help trying to think of ways I could help. Having taught fire-and-life safety class for RVers for years, I always instruct: If you can't get the fire under control in the first minutes, get away from the vehicle quickly. Looking up ahead, my wife and I could tell that the fire was well underway, and only the local fire department should be fighting the fire at this point. When traffic finally began to inch forward again, we passed by a burned-out motorhome, and I wondered if I might have been able to offer assistance if only I had been there when the fire first ignited. Realizing that I'll never know what might have been, I drove along feeling a bit helpless because I knew recovering from a fire includes a long restoration process of both physical property and personal emotions. When fire strikes, lives are suddenly turned topsy-turvy. Oftentimes, the most difficult part is knowing where to begin. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's FEMA, United States Fire Administration (USFA), and Aon Recreation Insurance, The Recreation Insurance Specialist, have gathered the following information to assist you if you suffer from a fire. This information will give you direction so you can begin getting your life back to normal. The First 24 Hours--Securing Yourself and The Site After the proper local authorities have been contacted, call your RV insurance claims center. Most RV-specialty insurance policies will assist you with the following:
Leaving Your RV:
Your recovery from a fire loss may be based upon your own resources and help from your community. Private organizations that may be sources of aid or information:
Valuing Your Property: It is objective measures of value that you, your insurance company, and the IRS will use as a common ground for discussion. Some of the objective measures are described below. Purchase Price: This is an important element in establishing an item's final value. Receipts will help verify the cost. It is important you store copies of all receipts somewhere outside of your RV-at the time of fire, receipts are like gold. Fair Market Value (before the fire): Also known as actual cash value, this is what you could have received for the item if you had sold it the day before the fire. The price would reflect its purchase price minus the depreciation it had sustained since purchase. (Depreciation is the amount of value an item loses over a period of time.) Salvage Value: What the item is worth after the fire. Restoration Services:
Replacement of Valuable Documents and Records:
Salvaging Your Belongings: Clothing: A word of caution before you begin. Test garments before using any treatment, and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Several of the cleaning mixtures described in this section contain the substance tri-sodium phosphate. This substance can be purchased under the generic name TSP. Tri-sodium phosphate is a caustic substance commonly used as a cleaning agent. It should be used with care and stored out of reach of children and pets. Wear rubber gloves when using TSP. Read the label for further instructions and safety precautions. Smoke: Smoke odor and soot can sometimes be washed from clothing. The following formula may work for clothing that can be bleached: Mix four to six tablespoons of tri-sodium phosphate with one cup household cleaner or chlorine bleach and one gallon of warm water. Mix well, add clothes, and rinse with clear water. Dry thoroughly. For clothes that cannot be bleached, wash with regular detergent (several washings may be necessary), add a tablespoon of pure vanilla extract and dry as usual. For wools or dry-clean-only clothing, find a dry cleaner with an ozone generator. Mildew: An effective way to remove mildew from clothing is to wash the fresh stain with soap and warm water, rinse, then dry in the sun. If the stain has not disappeared, apply lemon juice and salt or a diluted solution of household chlorine bleach, then wash and dry thoroughly. Cooking Utensils: Your pots, pans, flatware, etc., should be washed with soapy water, rinsed, and then polished with a fine-powdered cleaner. You can polish copper and brass with a polish like Brasso Brass Polish, which also works on copper, stainless steel, pewter and chrome. Salt sprinkled on a piece of lemon, or salt sprinkled on a cloth saturated with vinegar may also clean metals. Electrical Appliances: Don't use appliances that have been exposed to water or steam until you have a service representative check them. This is especially true of electrical appliances. If the fire department turned off your propane or power during the fire, check with them to see if it is safe to restore these services-do not try to do it yourself. Food: Wash canned goods and food in jars with detergent and water. If labels come off, be sure to mark the contents on the can or jar with grease pencil. Do not use canned goods when the cans have bulged or rusted. Do not refreeze frozen food that has thawed. To remove odor from your refrigerator or freezer, wash the inside with a solution of baking soda and water, or use one cup of vinegar or household ammonia to one gallon of water. Baking soda in an open container or a piece of charcoal can also be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to absorb odor. Rugs and Carpets: Dry rugs and carpets thoroughly. To clean throw rugs, beat, sweep, vacuum, and then shampoo. Rugs should be dried as quickly as possible. Lay them flat and expose them to circulation of warm, dry air. A fan turned toward the rugs will speed drying. Make sure the rugs are thoroughly dry-the surface can sometimes seem dry, but moisture remaining at the base of the tufts can quickly cause the rug to rot. For information on cleaning and preserving carpets, call your carpet dealer, installer or a qualified carpet cleaning professional. Leather: Wipe leather goods with a damp cloth, then a dry cloth. Stuff purses and shoes with newspapers to retain shape. Leave suitcases open. Leather goods should be dried away from heat and sun. When leather goods are dry, clean with saddle soap or other approved leather cleaner. Rinse leather and suede jackets in cold water and dry away from heat and sun to avoid shrinkage. Books: Wet books must be taken care of as soon as possible. The best method to save wet books is to freeze them in a vacuum freezer. This special freezer will remove the moisture without damaging the pages. If you cannot find a service that has such a freezer immediately, place your books in your own freezer until a vacuum freezer can be located. A local librarian can be a good resource for ideas to restore special literature. Locks and Hinges: Locks (especially iron locks) should be taken apart and wiped with oil. If locks cannot 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. Walls and Furniture: To remove soot and smoke from walls and furniture use a mild soap or detergent or mix four to six tablespoons of tri-sodium phosphate, one cup household cleaner or chlorine bleach and one gallon of warm water. Wear rubber gloves when cleaning with this solution.
Walls: Wash a small area at a time, working from the floor up,
and then rinse the wall with clear water immediately. Ceilings should
be washed last. Washable wall covering can be cleansed like any
ordinary wall, but care must be taken not to soak the wall. Work from
bottom to top to prevent streaking.
Wood Furniture:
You can also rub the wood surface with a fine-grade steel wool pad dripped in liquid polishing wax, clean the area with a soft cloth and then buff. Money Replacement: Handle burned money as little as possible. Attempt to encase each bill or portion of a bill in plastic wrap for preservation. If money is only half-burned or less, you can take the remainder to your regional Federal Reserve Bank for replacement. You may also mail the burned or torn money by registered mail, return receipt requested, to: Department of the Treasury Mutilated or melted coins can be taken to your regional Federal Reserve Bank. If your U.S. Savings Bonds have been destroyed or mutilated, you must obtain Department of Treasury Form PDF 1048 (I) from your bank or www.ustreas.gov and mail to: Department of the Treasury Tax Information: Check with an accountant, tax consultant or the IRS about special benefits for people with limited financial means after a fire loss. Contact the fire department for a fire report and the police department for a copy of the accident report if you were involved in an accident. It goes without saying that a fire can be a frightening, traumatic experience and one we'd all like to avoid. Do your best to minimize fire risk by reading up on fire safety or taking a class on the subject. If a fire does occur, however, follow the steps outlined here and remember that there are professionals-insurance agents, restoration specialists, even counselors-who can help you cope with the aftermath. Mac McCoy is a thirty-year fire-fighting veteran who has worked as a paramedic, deputy sheriff, the Fire Service Training Coordinator for the State of Oregon and now travels nationwide teaching RVers the skills needed for fire-safe travel. Mac has a bachelor's degree in Fire Science and a master's degree in Fire Administration. To learn more about Fire & Life Safety, find out where you can attend a Fire & Life Safety seminar taught by Mac, or to contact Mac, visit www.macthefireguy.com
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