Don't make your Complex fire...."Complex".

7/11/2022 (Permalink)

Is your Complex Ready?

When you own an apartment or condominium complex, the last thing you want is to get a call notifying you about a fire on your property. Residential Building fires can be deadly and can move very swiftly - destroy your property. Keeping this in mind, it’s important that you understand your responsibilities when it comes to fires at your  complex. 

In this guide below, we will help you with a step-by-step overview. This will help give you the idea of what you should do.

1. Notify All of Your Tenants About the Situation and Help First Responders Account for All Tenants.

First things first, you’ll want to notify all of your tenants about the situation as soon as you can. This will ensure that they’re aware of the situation, and that your complex may be uninhabitable or even dangerous to enter for the time being.

You may also want to alert them about local resources to assist in the meantime. Services like the Red Cross and other non-profits, who may be able to help them secure temporary housing and food/clothing. Your local officials can help you with this and the cost of rehousing your residents will usually be covered by your insurance company, contact your insurance to know ahead of time the terms and provisions.

2. Try to Trace the Cause of the Fire with Professionals

You’ll likely work with the fire department to do this. It’s so important to determine the cause of the fire for insurance purposes, and to understand the proper next steps to take after a complex fire. Common causes of fires include but are not only - cooking, candles lit, and electrical issues, or even things like smoking inside.

3. Contact Your Insurance Company Right Away to Establish a Claim

It doesn’t matter what caused the fire, you need to contact your insurance company right away to let them know about the incident. They’ll likely need to send investigators and/or an adjuster to your location. You’ll want to file for casualty loss right away, and begin the process as soon as possible-this will help get your renters back into their homes. 

4. Work with Your Insurance to Find a Fire Restoration Company

A fire at your complex won’t result in a total loss of the building, necessarily.  Minor fires may only result in damage to a few units or rooms in a unit. However, you may not be able to rent these units or have a unit occupied until the damage is restored.

We recommend working with your insurer to find a quality and reliable local fire restoration company like SERVPRO of Bloomington/Pontiac to help rebuild the property, mitigate smoke damage. SERVPRO can also ensure that it’s habitable and safe for residents once again. You may need to wait a little while until the process of restoring your building can be completed, but being proactive and having a fire restoration company lined up will help you minimize lost revenue. Call before there are any issues to know how we can help in these situations.

SERVPRO can also assist with: 

• Documentation of All of the Damage to Your Property 

• Secure the Property from Vandals, Trespassers

• Begin Restoring Your Property as Soon as Possible

Once you’ve gotten the all-clear from local authorities, we can begin restoring your property. Your insurance company will help you through the policy, and your fire restoration company shouldl take all the necessary steps to remove damaged materials, restore your units, and ensure that your apartment complex is habitable once again.

Follow This Guide – Know What to Do in Case of a Fire

A fire occurring on your property is never a good thing. However, if you know what to do after a fire at your complex, you’ll ensure that you take the right steps to restore your property quickly. 

This is where the professionals at SERVPRO Of Bloomington/Pontiac come in.  In our  For larger Commercial Projects, we can call in our Large Loss crews to help!

Contact SERVPRO of Bloomington/Pontiac for more information and to answer any Fire Restoration questions. 

Call us today at 309-827-7500 or visit our website at www.SERVPRObloomingtonpontiac.com.

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