What to Do After a House Fire: Real Tips + #1 Amazon Must-Haves That Helped Me Rebuild

A house fire is something you never think will happen to you — until it does. Here is what to do after a house fire.

In January, my family’s life was turned upside down after an e-bike battery exploded and our home caught fire. We lost *everything* — our belongings, our safe space, our pets, and years of memories. What came next  was a blur of insurance calls, temporary housing, emotional chaos, and slowly rebuilding life from scratch. You can never know what to do after a house fire until you actually live it.

If you’re here because you’ve experienced a fire or just want to be prepared, I’m sharing **what to do after a house fire**, **recovery tips I wish I knew**, and **the Amazon finds that made the process just a little easier**.

—

## 🧯 What to Do Immediately After a House Fire

Here’s what to prioritize in the first 48–72 hours:

### 1. **Get the fire report.**

Request it from your fire department. You’ll need it for your insurance claim.

### 2. **Contact your insurance company ASAP.**

Even if you don’t have all the answers yet, open the claim immediately. Ask about ALE (Additional Living Expenses) coverage — this can pay for hotels, clothing, meals, and more while you’re displaced.

### 3. **Secure your property.**

If part of your home is salvageable, ask about a board-up or restoration service.

### 4. **Document everything.**

Take photos and videos of all damage. Don’t throw anything away until your adjuster says it’s okay.

### 5. **Get a notebook.**

Write down the name, date, and summary of every call with your insurance, contractors, or vendors. Trust me, you’ll need this later.

—

📋 House Fire Recovery Tips I Wish I Knew for what to do after a house fire.

These are the lessons I learned through hard experience:

* **Don’t toss anything too soon.**
Your insurance adjuster needs to see damaged items before they’re removed.

* **Request itemized breakdowns from your insurance.**
Understand what was covered, what was depreciated, and what’s still recoverable later (called **recoverable depreciation**).

* **Rebuy with intention.**
Focus on essentials first. Rebuilding is overwhelming — take it one small win at a time.

* **Digitally organize your receipts.**
Store them in a shared Google Drive or Dropbox so you don’t lose them again.

* **Invest in fire-safe upgrades.**
Things like fireproof bags and battery safety containers are now non-negotiables in my home.

* **Give yourself grace.**
Some days, I felt strong. Other days, I cried over losing my favorite eyeshadow palette. Both are okay. I will be happy to help guide you with what to do after a house fire.

🧠 The Emotional and Mental Toll No One Talks About

Something no one prepares you for is how much work it is to recover after a house fire. You don’t just lose things — you gain responsibilities. It’s not like life hits pause while you put everything back together.

I still had to show up for work, take care of my kids, cook dinner (with limited kitchen supplies), and manage school drop-offs — all while fighting with insurance adjusters, measuring smoke damage, filling out inventory spreadsheets, and coordinating with general contractors. It was exhausting. I will be happy to help guide you with what to do after a house fire.

 

🔄 You’re Suddenly Managing 5 Jobs at Once

Here’s what fire recovery actually looks like day-to-day:

  • Insurance Project Manager: You’re answering emails, filing documents, tracking depreciation, and double-checking every payout.
  • General Contractor Wrangler: You’re scheduling bids, chasing down contractors, checking their work, and living through delays.
  • Personal Inventory Specialist: You’re trying to remember every item you owned, its value, when you bought it, and providing receipts — for hundreds of items.
  • Emotional Caregiver: You’re trying to stay emotionally available for your kids and spouse while dealing with your own trauma.
  • Daily Life Coordinator: You still have to make lunches, drive to appointments, deal with your job, and attempt to function like nothing happened.

No one tells you that recovery is a full-time job — on top of your real life. And it’s a job with no roadmap, no training manual, and zero emotional breaks. I will be happy to help guide you with what to do after a house fire.

🧾 The Inventory List Will Break You (But You Still Have to Do It)

I’ll be honest — the inventory list was one of the hardest parts for me. It wasn’t just typing up numbers. It was reliving the loss of every single item. From the kitchen spatula to my daughter’s baby blanket, every entry came with an emotional punch.

  • You’ll have to remember where you bought each item
  • How much you paid
  • The exact model or brand
  • And often, provide photo proof or a receipt

And here’s the kicker: even after you submit it, your insurance company might depreciate the value — meaning they’ll give you less than what it costs to replace it today. This part is not fun. It is very detailed orientated.

🧰 The Tools That Helped Me Stay Sane

That’s why I relied heavily on Amazon — not just for convenience, but because it gave me a centralized place to reorder items and keep receipts organized. I also used Amazon to track my rebuild costs, share lists with my adjuster, and even find fire-safe replacements for things I didn’t trust anymore.

Here are a few tools that kept me afloat:

  • Amazon Order History – Easy way to retrieve past purchases and receipts
  • Google Drive – I uploaded photos, invoices, and inventory lists here
  • Reusable Checklist Apps – Helped track what we’d re-bought, what was pending reimbursement, and what still needed to be submitted

Recovery isn’t just physical. It’s emotional, mental, and logistical. And while I’m so grateful we’re safe, I wish someone had told me just how much invisible work comes with surviving a house fire.

So if you’re feeling buried under paperwork and responsibilities, know this: you’re not doing it wrong — it really is that much. You’re doing incredible.

## 🛒 Amazon Must-Haves After a House Fire (That I Actually Used)

One of the hardest parts of recovering from a fire is re-buying *everything* — even the little stuff you never think about. Below are Amazon products that truly helped during our rebuild (affiliate links included — thank you for supporting my journey!): I will be happy to help guide you with what to do after a house fire.

### 🧳 Temporary Living Essentials

* [**Hanging Toiletry Organizer**](#) – Perfect for hotels or rental bathrooms.
* [**XL Mesh Beach/Pool Bag**](#) – Fit towels, floaties, and snacks for all 5 of us.
* [**Meguiar’s Air Re-Fresher – Fiji Sunset Scent**](#) – After a month of trying to get a nasty smell out of our car, *this one can finally worked*.

🏠 Household Essentials I Had to Re-Buy

what to do after a house fire

sillymunks amazon home finds

 – Temporary beds = uncomfortable. This saved my back.

### 🔒 Fire-Safe & Prep Items I Recommend Now

* [**Fireproof Document Bag**] – I *wish* I had stored passports, insurance, and photos in one.
* [**Smoke Detectors with 10-Year Battery**](#) – Worth replacing in every room.
* [**Battery Safety Bag for E-Bikes / Lithium Devices**](#) – We didn’t know these existed. Now we have them in every room.

👉 Want to see everything I’ve tested and re-bought? Check out my full Amazon recovery list here:

—

## ❤️ Final Thoughts: You’re Not Alone

Recovering from a house fire isn’t just about rebuilding walls — it’s about rebuilding your routines, your confidence, and your life. Some days, even finding clean socks felt like a victory. But over time, we’ve made progress — one small Amazon delivery, one replaced toothbrush, one tiny comfort at a time.

If you’re in the middle of it all right now, I see you. This post is for you. And if you’re someone who just wants to be better prepared, start with one thing — a fireproof bag, better detectors, or just having your policy printed and backed up. You can always message me and I will be happy to help guide you with what to do after a house fire.

If you’re wondering what to do after a house fire, know that it goes far beyond calling your insurance and boarding up the house. It’s rebuilding your life detail by detail while juggling the weight of emotional exhaustion, financial pressure, and family responsibilities.

What to do after a house fire includes things no checklist ever tells you: answering the same questions over and over from friends and adjusters, figuring out how to feed your kids without your old kitchen, replacing your toothbrush and your tax documents, and doing it all while still showing up to work or school like life hasn’t changed. And when you Google “what to do after a house fire,” you’ll find lists about smoke damage and cleanup — but no one tells you how to mentally cope when everything familiar is gone. That’s why I created this post — not just for the checklist, but for the real life part too.

Have a question? Drop a comment or message me on [Instagram/TikTok](@ThingsHilaryLoves) — I love hearing from others rebuilding too. 💬

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means I may earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I’ve personally used and found helpful during my recovery journey.