Home Fire & Kids | SERVPRO of Western Lancaster County

10/24/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Western Lancaster County can remove debris, odors and other evidence of the fire.

Home Fires, Children, and What to Do Next

Fire departments across the U.S. respond to more than 358,000 home fires annually, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). If you're one of the hundreds of thousands of American families to experience this type of disaster, take a look at how you can start the recovery process and help your children to feel safe at home again.

Understand Fears

Fires are scary for anyone, especially a young child. It's completely normal for a child to worry that the fire will return, that their home won't go back to its normal (pre-fire) state or that another similar disaster will happen.

While it's tempting to shut down your child's fears with simple statements, you need to listen before speaking. Ask your child what they're afraid of and why they're scared. Help them to dig deep, and ask open-ended questions about why they think fires start and what they can do to prevent one.

Younger children won't always have the language skills to completely express what they're feeling inside. This can lead to tantrums or out-of-character behaviors. You can help your child to express their feelings (and help yourself to understand their feelings) in a nonverbal way, such as painting or drawing.

Provide the Facts

Along with the emotional or psychological trauma the fire itself causes comes fear of the unknown. Your child may wonder what will happen now. If your house sustained serious damage, your child’s questions may include wondering whether your family can move back in, whether your child's room will return to normal, or whether they'll have their favorite toys to play with.

As you create a recovery and restoration plan, fill your child in on the facts. Provide them with the steps you're taking to salvage the house and any belongings. It's likely that you'll already have a restoration timeline in place prior to talking to your child. Draw out the timeline for them and give them a concrete look at when they can expect to return home.

Find Temporary Housing

Depending on the extent of the damage, your child may clearly see that they can’t return home immediately. Stop fears before they start by reassuring your child the family has a safe place to stay. Book a hotel room, ask family if you can stay with them, or find a friend's house to live in temporarily.

Call a Restoration Professional

What do you need to create a restoration or recovery timeline? You need a professional contractor who can get the job done efficiently and effectively. Cleaning smoke and fire damage isn't a job for a novice. Not only does your home need to look like it did before the fire, but you also need to make sure that it's structurally and physically safe.

A restoration contractor can remove odors, stains, and other evidence of the fire. Eliminating these clear reminders of the disaster can reduce the lingering impact that memories of the fire may have on your child. Beyond that, it can help them get back to their life in an environment that looks almost like it did before.

Remediate Mold

The fire isn't the only potential cause of home damage. Extinguishing the flames may have left your home a charred, damp mess. If you have wet furniture, carpeting, or other home items, the restoration professional can also check for mold growth.

Locating and remediating the mold is a job for a professional restoration contractor. The expert can remove any growth, take steps to prevent future growth, and leave your home a cleaner place.

Do you need professional help restoring your home following a fire? Contact SERVPRO of Western Lancaster County for more information.