A fire in your home can be a devastating, life altering event. Fire doesn’t care about your family members, it doesn’t care about your pets, or your family photos. It doesn’t care about  the big screen TV or the antique car in the garage. From the loss of  a family member or pet, to the loss of personal property that can never be replaced, no one is immune to fire. It can strike any time, any where. Fire is responsible for the loss of approximately 6000 lives a year, usually our very young or our elderly. It destroys over 700,000 homes and causes over two billion dollars in damage each year.

   Recovering from a fire can be a long, arduous task. You will need the assistance of many people, companies and agencies for this to happen. We at East Lake Fire Rescue have compiled the following information to assist you through this process.

   If further assistance is needed, feel free co contact our Fire Administration Offices at (727) 784-8668

Property Insurance

   The first thing to do after a fire is contact your insurance company or agent as soon as possible. If you are renting or leasing the property, contact the owner also. Your insurance adjuster may be able to help you in making immediate repairs or helping to secure your home. If you cannot reach your agent and need assistance in boarding up your home, a general contractor or a fire damage restoration company can help. Check your yellow pages.

   Remove as many valuables as possible if you must stay elsewhere. If East Lake Fire Rescue is investigating the fire, a firefighter will accompany you through the house when you remove your valuables. Be sure to inventory the valuables that you remove.

   If your property is not insured, or if your insurance will not cover all your losses, contact your family lawyer or the Internal Revenue Services for directions as you may be eligible for a tax deduction.

Documents and Records

   Documents are very important to your well being and can be damaged or destroyed as a result of fire.  Copies of all important papers should be stored in an approved fire rated strong box or safe, or be kept in a bank safe deposit box. The following is a list of these type documents:

   Copies of marriage and divorce papers can be obtained from the Clerk of Court in the County in which you were wed.

   Copies of birth and death certificates can be obtained from the State’s Bureau of Vital Statistics.

Utilities

   Often the Fire Department will have the utilities shut off or disconnected as a safety precaution and also to prevent further damage to the structure and its contents.

   The utility company will not make repairs on the customer’s side of the meter such as house wiring or gas lines. A contractor will have to be brought in to handle such repairs. All repairs of this nature will require permits and inspection by the proper building departments. The utility company will not restore your utilities until repairs are approved by the Building Department. If the Fire Department turned off your electrical or gas services, contact the appropriate company to have the service turned back on. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RECONNECT UTILITIES YOURSELF!!

Electrical Appliances

   Don’t attempt to use wet appliances until you have had a service technician check them out.

Cooking Utensils

   Your pots, pans, glasses and flatware should be scrubbed with a fine powdered cleaner. You can polish copper and brass with a special polish or salt sprinkled on a cloth saturated with vinegar.

Food

“If in doubt, throw it out”

   Wash your canned goods with soap and water. Do the same with food in jars. If the labels come off be sure to label the contents with a marker. Do not use canned goods that have dents or bulges  or are rusted.

   If your freezer has stopped running, you can still save the food inside. Keep the freezer door shut. Your freezer has enough insulation to keep the food frozen for at least one day, perhaps more.

   Move your food to a neighbor’s freezer or a commercial freezer, or coolers packed with ice.

   If your food has thawed observe the following procedures:

• Fruits- Can be refrozen if they still smell and taste good. Otherwise if the fruit is not spoiled it can be eaten at once.
• Vegetables- Do not re-freeze if fully thawed. Re-freeze only if there are ice crystals still in the vegetables. If they have thawed and can’t be eaten soon, throw them out.
• Meats- may be re-frozen (if ice crystals are still present) but cook meat thoroughly before eating. If odor is poor or if you question these foods, throw them out. Bacteria spread quickly.

Clothing

   Smoke odor and soot can sometimes be washed from clothing. The following formula will often work for clothing that can be bleached:

4-6 cups tri-sodium phosphate (can be purchased in paint stores)

1 cup Lysol or any household chlorine bleach

1 gallon warm water

   Mix well, add clothes, agitate load, rinse in clean water, dry thoroughly. To remove mildew, wash the fresh stain with soap and water rinse and dry thoroughly. If the stain isn’t gone, use lemon juice and salt, or a diluted solution of chlorine bleach.

   Take wool, silk, rayon or other delicates to the dry cleaner as soon as possible.

Salvage Hints

Cleaning walls, Furniture and Carpeting

   NOTE: Before cleaning be sure to contact your insurance company. There’s no sense in cleaning something your insurance company is going to “total”. Also consider documenting all damage with still or video images.

• Vacuum all surfaces
• Change all air conditioning filters
• Seal off rooms you are working in with plastic to keep soot from dirtying a room you may have already cleaned
• Seal off rooms that have not been damaged to keep soot spread and odors to a minimum.
• Walls- To remove soot and smoke from painted walls, mix together 4 to 6 teaspoons of tri-sodium phosphate (can be purchased in a paint store) and one gallon of warm water. Keep away from children and pets. The use of rubber gloves and goggles is strongly suggested. Wash a small area at a time working from the floor up. Do ceilings last. Rinse thoroughly. Do not re-paint until area is thoroughly dry. It is advisable that you use a smoke sealer (purchased from a paint store) before you paint. Wallpapered walls usually cannot be restored. Check with your wallpaper dealer.
• Furniture- Do not use chemicals on furniture. A very inexpensive product called FLAX SOAP (available in hardware and paint stores) is a most efficient product to use on wood including kitchen cabinets. Do not dry furniture in the sun as the wood will warp and twist out of shape.
• Floors- Use FLAX SOAP on wood and vinyl floors. It will take 4 to 5 applications. Then strip and re-wax. For carpeting, steam clean shampoo, and repeat steam cleaning.
• Mattresses- Reconditioning an inner-spring mattress at home is very difficult if not impossible. Your mattress can probably be renovated by a company that builds or repairs mattresses. If you must use your mattress temporarily, put it out in the sun to dry. It is almost impossible to remove the smoke odor, the feathers and foam retain the odor.
• Locks, Hinges, Typewriters, Sewing Machines, Guns, And Other Appliances- Steam from the fire removes the lubrication form items such as these. They should be taken apart by a qualified  person, cleaned, lubricated, and reassembled. It is suggested that these items be taken to a repair shop. If locks cannot be removed, squirt machine oil through the bolt opening or key hole and work the knob to distribute the oil. Hinges should also be thoroughly cleaned and oiled.

Leather And Books

   Wipe your leather goods with a damp cloth and the a dry cloth. Stuff purses and shoes with newspaper to retain their shape. Leave suitcases open. Leather goods should be dried away from the heat or sun. When leather goods are dry, clean with saddle soap. You can use steel wool or a suede brush on suede. Rinse leather and suede jackets in cold water and allow them to dry out of the hear or sun. Books can be dried by placing them on one end with the pages open to keep the pages from wrinkling. Alternating drying and pressing will prevent mildewing. If your books are very damp sprinkle corn starch or talc between the pages. Brush off when dry. A fan turned on the books will also help them to dry.

Refrigerators And Freezers

To remove odors from your refrigerator or freezer, wash the inside with a solution of baking soda and water or use one cup of vinegar or a household ammonia to one gallon of water. An open container of baking soda, or a piece of charcoal placed in the refrigerator or freezer will absorb odors.

CAUTION: When cleaning or discarding any refrigerator or freezer, be sure to remove the doors or secure the doors so children will not be able to be trapped inside. 

If You Can’t Live In The House

This may be your decision or one based on the building inspector’s judgment that the building is unsafe. If you decide to leave:

• Contact the local law enforcement.  They will keep an eye on the property during your absence.
• Temporary housing. Local relief agencies like Red Cross, Salvation Army or your local religious community services should be able to help you with temporary housing. If you are insured under a package homeowners or tenants policy, a section of your coverage may pay for the extra costs of temporary housing such as a hotel.
• Try to locate the following items to take with you.  Identification, vital medicines, eyeglasses, hearing aids, valuables such as credit cards, money, jewelry, credit cards, check book, savings account books, insurance policies ect… If you have a safe, don’t try to open it. A safe involved in a fire may hold intense heat for many hours. If the door is opened before the safe has cooled down, the contents may burst into flames.
• If you have moved, remember to notify: the Post Office, bank(s), water department, credit card companies, local school district (if you have children), Social Security Administration, IRS, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, ect…
• If there is structural damage: The proper building department will be notified if there is structural damage to your home. Before attempting repairs, a permit will need to be pulled.

Reference Directory

East Lake Fire Rescue

   Emergency…………………………………………………….…………911

   Administration…………………………………………………….784-8668

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office

   Emergency……………………………………………………………….911

   Administration....................……………....……………………..….582-6200

American Red Cross

   Pinellas County………………………………… ……………….446-2358

Utilities

   Pinellas County Water Department………………………………..464-4714

   Pinellas County Water Department Emergencies……………….….582-2200

   Clearwater Gas…………………………………………………..562-4600

   Clearwater Gas Emergencies…………………………………..…462-6633

   Florida Power (Progress Energy)……………………….....1-800-228-8485

   Tampa Electric (TECO)…………………………………………442-9200

   Tampa Electric (TECO) Emergency………………………...813-223-0800

   Bright House Cable……………………………………………...562-5020

   Sewer Department……………………………………………….464-3588

S.P.C.A…………………………………………………………….586-3891

Internal Revenue Service………………………………..…...1-800-829-1040

Social Security Administration…………………………...…..1-800-772-1213

Pinellas County Building Department………………………………..464-3241

Pinellas County Transit Authority…………………………………....530-9911

Food Pantry………………………………………………...………443-4031

Salvation Army…………………………………………….....……..446-4177