At Total Restoration, we are here to help homeowners in Magnolia who have suffered from fire damage. Our experienced and compassionate team will be your guide throughout the entire fire damage restoration process. We know how overwhelming and devastating fire damage can be, and our goal is to simplify the entire restoration process for our customers. Many people do not know how to respond to a fire because it catches them off guard and is such a shocking experience. We want to help. Here is a list of some general Do’s and Don’ts to help give some guidance and direction following a house fire.

DO’S

• Have a fire escape plan for your home. Getting everyone out of the house is the number one priority when a fire starts, and without a practiced escape plan in place, this step becomes much more difficult. All members of the household should know the escape plan for each room, and each room should have two designated exit routes. Then, establish a safe meeting place outside of the home so that all members of the household know where to meet.  As soon as the alarms alert you of a fire, follow the fire escape plan so that everyone can be evacuated quickly and safely.
• Have at least one accessible fire extinguisher. If the fire is small and contained in one area, use the extinguisher to attempt to put it out. However, do not spend too much time attempting to put out a fire that is resisting (see Don’t section for more direction). 
• Stay below the smoke level while evacuating. The chemical make-up of smoke can cause serious damage to the brain and lungs. Smoke will kill you before the fire does if too much is inhaled, so stay low and attempt to cover your nose and mouth to filter out smoke.
• Initiate a quick response by alerting emergency response personnel (firefighters) first, and then call Total Restoration in Magnolia so that we can begin mitigating damage as soon as the flames are out.
• Let firefighters know the origin of the fire if you have that information, and how many family members are still in the house if everyone has not made it to the designated meeting spot. This will help drastically increase the odds of getting the fire out quickly and locating family members in time to get them out safely.

DON’TS 

• Do not attempt to put out small fires by yourself if the flames are not responding to your efforts. Even small fires can grow very quickly, and will easily get out of hand. Do not waste valuable escape time trying to unsuccessfully extinguish a fire on your own; evacuate immediately. 
• Do not enter a burning home under any circumstances. Even after the flames have been extinguished, you should not re-enter the building until a professional has deemed it safe to do so. Fires cause a lot of destruction, and the integrity of the home will more than likely be compromised, making entry unsafe. Gas leaks, smoke in the air, and electrical circuit malfunctions are all potential risks come with fires, so extreme caution should be used before going back inside.
• Do not try to clean, wipe, or remove any fire or smoke residue from your home on your own. Fire damage cleanup and restoration requires specific processes that are completely unique to fire damage. Trying to clean and repair fire damage on your own can actually lead to more damage, so by working with professional fire damage repair and restoration companies you ensure that no detail is overlooked, and every issue is safely addressed.