First 24 Hours After a Fire in Your Utah Home: What to Do

Reviewed by Tyler Bennett, Restoration Project Manager, IICRC WRT/ASD #291438, October 2026.

Short answer: The first 24 hours after a fire shape what gets saved. Secure the property (board-up and roof tarping), contact your insurance to open a claim, and do NOT re-enter until a restoration professional has cleared the air quality and structure. 4Sure arrives for emergency board-up within 60 minutes anywhere in Utah County.

Hour 0-2: safety and documentation

1. Stay out until the fire department clears the structure. Even after the flames are out, structure may be compromised, air may be unsafe to breathe, and electrical systems may still be hazardous.
2. Call your insurance carrier. Open the claim before you touch anything. Most policies require prompt notification.
3. Photograph exterior and interior damage from safe vantage points. Multiple angles. Date-stamped.
4. Call 4Sure for emergency board-up. 24/7 board-up service — window and door closures, roof tarping, temporary security fencing. Prevents further damage from weather, animals, or theft.

Hour 2-24: stabilize the property

1. Do NOT turn utilities back on until a licensed electrician and plumber have inspected what the fire affected. Water lines may be compromised. Wiring may be damaged.
2. Do NOT try to clean soot yourself. Fine soot particles embed deeper when disturbed by vacuum, cloth, or wet wiping. Specialized dry-cleaning techniques are required under IICRC S700.
3. Do NOT eat or drink anything that was in the home during the fire — even sealed containers — without professional cleaning. Soot and chemicals can migrate through packaging.
4. Make a list of damaged items. Insurance will ask. Include approximate values, purchase dates if known.
5. Secure important documents and valuables. If safe to retrieve under FD or fire-restoration supervision.
6. Arrange temporary housing if needed. Most policies include ALE (Additional Living Expense) coverage for displacement.

Why fire water damage is special

Fire fighting uses a lot of water. A typical residential fire gets 500-1,500+ gallons sprayed through it to extinguish. That water saturates everything the flames did not, and if it is not extracted within 48 hours it feeds mold growth on top of the fire damage. This is why fire restoration companies handle both fire and water work — the two problems arrive together.

Related reading

• Fire damage restoration service
• 24/7 fire damage board-up
• Spanish Fork kitchen fire case study

Calls to make in the first day

1. Insurance carrier. Open the claim, get a claim number and ask about additional living expenses.
2. Restoration company. Board-up, tarping, water extraction from firefighting, and the start of soot and odor control.
3. Utilities. Confirm gas and power are safely off until they are inspected.
4. Mortgage lender. Insurance checks for structural repairs are often made out to you and your lender.
5. Landlord or HOA, if you rent or share walls.
6. Family, work, school. Let them know where you will be staying.

What to document for the claim

• Photos and video of every room, including inside closets and cabinets
• A list of damaged contents, with approximate age and value
• Receipts for hotels, meals, clothing and other expenses you pay after the fire
• The fire department report number
• Names and dates for every call with your carrier and adjuster

The four kinds of smoke residue

How soot is cleaned depends on what burned. Under the IICRC S700 standard, residue is identified before cleaning starts, because the wrong method can set a stain permanently:

• Dry smoke from fast, hot fires burning paper and wood. Powdery and easier to remove, but it gets into cracks and porous surfaces.
• Wet smoke from slow, smoldering fires burning plastic and rubber. Sticky, smeary and strong-smelling.
• Protein residue from kitchen fires where food burned. Nearly invisible, discolors paint and varnish, and has a strong odor.
• Fuel oil residue from furnace puff-backs. Dense and sticky, and it needs specialized cleaning.

Common questions

Can I stay in my house the first night after a fire?

Usually not if smoke spread beyond one room. Soot and odor in the air are irritating to breathe, and utilities may be off. Many policies include additional living expenses for a hotel or rental while the home is unlivable; ask your carrier.

Should I start cleaning soot myself?

No. Wiping or vacuuming soot smears it and pushes it deeper into surfaces. Leave cleaning to a crew working under IICRC S700.

What should I take with me when I leave?

ID, medications, phone and chargers, glasses, important papers, and your insurance policy information. Do not take food or medicine that was exposed to heat or smoke.

Who handles the water from firefighting?

4Sure handles both. The water used to put out a fire is extracted and the structure is dried as part of the same project.