ARS PROPERTY-DAMAGE FIELD GUIDE

Fire & Smoke Damage Resource Center

Use these guides to make safer first decisions, preserve useful documentation, understand the restoration process, and coordinate the people involved after a structure fire.

Life safety comes first. Follow the fire department’s instructions. Do not enter to photograph damage, retrieve belongings, shut off utilities, or begin cleaning until the property has been released for safe access.

Start with the decision in front of you

What to do in the first 24 hours

A time-ordered checklist covering safety, temporary housing, property security, insurer notification, critical records, and emergency work.

Open the first-day checklist →

How to document the loss

A repeatable photo, video, inventory, expense, and communication system that avoids unsafe entry and unsupported conclusions.

Open the documentation checklist →

Why smoke, soot, and odor require assessment

A plain-language explanation of residue movement, material sensitivity, HVAC pathways, cleaning compatibility, and odor-source control.

Read the smoke and soot guide →

Property-manager fire response plan

A building-level playbook for occupant accountability, access control, vendor coordination, documentation, and continuity.

Open the property-manager plan →

A fire loss is a connected building event

The visibly burned area may be only one part of the loss. Firefighting water can affect lower floors and concealed assemblies. Heat and pressure can move smoke through door gaps, shafts, wall cavities, and mechanical systems. Residue can settle on finishes, electronics, textiles, contents, and HVAC components. Broken windows, roof openings, and damaged doors can create weather and security exposure.

A useful response therefore separates six questions: Is the building safe to enter? Is it secure from weather and unauthorized entry? Is active water damage being stabilized? Where did residues travel? Which materials can be cleaned and which require further evaluation? What documentation is needed before conditions change?

Typical professional response sequence

Authority and safety: confirm release and access limits with the fire department or other authority having jurisdiction.
Secure and stabilize: address exposed openings, weather intrusion, active water, electrical hazards, and access control.
Document: record conditions, emergency actions, affected rooms, contents, and communications before unnecessary disturbance.
Assess boundaries: evaluate fire residue, odor, water migration, contents, assemblies, and potentially affected HVAC surfaces.
Develop the work plan: define cleaning, removal, drying, contents handling, specialty evaluation, verification, and repair tasks.
Perform and track work: document work completed, materials removed, items moved, equipment, readings, approvals, and changes.
Repair and close out: coordinate reconstruction, final cleaning, documentation, and unresolved-condition review.

The exact sequence varies by the fire, building, authority restrictions, insurer process, and site conditions.

Related resources

Sources, scope, and review status

Last reviewed: September 2026. This resource is educational and does not replace instructions from the fire department, emergency services, your insurer, a licensed engineer, an environmental professional, or medical personnel. ARS does not determine insurance coverage.