Resources
After a fire: guides for Detroit homeowners
The days after a fire are full of decisions nobody prepares for. These guides answer the questions people ask us most, in plain language, with Detroit and Michigan specifics where they matter.
Quick answer
These fire and smoke guides cover what Detroit homeowners and landlords need in the days after a fire: what to do first, what restoration costs, how Michigan fire claims work, why smoke smell returns and what can be cleaned. Each is written by our fire and smoke guides editor and updated as practices and figures change.
Start here
How to use these guides
If the fire just happened, start with what to do after a house fire, then the guide on whether it is safe to stay home. If you are dealing with an adjuster, the cost and insurance guides come next. If the house is already cleaned and still smells, start with the odor guides.
Every guide is written by Evelyn Rowe, our fire and smoke guides editor, from the questions homeowners and landlords ask on the fire and smoke line. They are general information, not legal or insurance advice; your own policy and your adjuster have the final word on coverage.
Topic 1
First days after a fire
What to Do After a House Fire in Detroit
The first hours and days: safety, who to call in what order, what to take and what to leave alone.
Read the guideIs It Safe to Stay Home After a Small Fire?
What to check after a small fire, who should stay out, and the signs that it is time to leave for a few days.
Read the guideA House Fire in a Michigan Winter: Freeze Risks
Why a winter fire can turn into a frozen-pipe loss, and what to do about heat, plumbing and openings the first night.
Read the guideTopic 2
Costs and insurance
What Fire Damage Restoration Costs in Detroit
Sourced cost ranges by project, room and line item, and the factors that push a Detroit job up or down.
Read the guideFiling a Fire Insurance Claim in Michigan
Opening the claim, proof of loss, Michigan's 60-day payment rule and the 25% fire withholding escrow, step by step.
Read the guideA Landlord's Guide to a Fire in a Detroit Rental
Tenants, insurance, securing a vacant unit, Michigan's fire claim escrow and getting a Detroit rental back on the market.
Read the guideHow Long Fire Damage Restoration Takes
Realistic timelines for small, moderate and major fire jobs, and what speeds them up or slows them down.
Read the guide
Condo Fire in Michigan: Association or Owner Pays?
How the master deed, the association's master policy and an owner's HO-6 policy split the cost of a condo fire.
Read the guideTopic 3
Smoke, soot and odor
Smoke Damage vs Soot Damage: What Each Needs
How smoke damage differs from soot damage, how to tell dry, oily and protein residue apart, and why it matters.
Read the guideWhy Smoke Smell Lingers and Comes Back
Why odor fades and returns, where the residue hides and how to tell whether the source was ever removed.
Read the guideOzone vs Thermal Fogging vs Hydroxyl for Smoke Odor
How ozone, thermal fogging and hydroxyl work, how safe and fast each is, and which one fits your house.
Read the guideAfter a Fire Next Door: Smoke Smell, Health, First Steps
Protecting your family's health, airing out properly and deciding whether smoke from next door needs professional cleaning.
Read the guideTopic 4
Causes, kitchens and belongings
Kitchen Fire Aftermath: What Can Be Cleaned
Cabinets, counters, appliances, dishes, pans and food after a kitchen fire: what cleans up and what should go.
Read the guideElectrical Fire Signs in Older Detroit Homes
Warm outlets, flickering lights, burning smells and old wiring types: the warning signs and what to do about them.
Read the guideCan Smoke-Damaged Clothes and Furniture Be Saved?
Which clothes, bedding, furniture and belongings clean up after smoke, which should go, and what to do before washing.
Read the guideSpace Heater and Holiday Fire Safety in Michigan
Space heaters, cords, candles, trees and holiday cooking: how to cut the winter fire risk in a Michigan home.
Read the guideTopic 5
Checklists and resources
After-a-Fire Checklist for Detroit Homes (Printable)
A printable, step-by-step list for the first hour, first day and first week after a house fire in Detroit.
Read the guideDetroit Fire Recovery Resources: Reports, Aid, Utilities
Getting a Detroit fire report, emergency help, utilities, repair permits and insurance help after a house fire.
Read the guide
Fire Restoration Glossary: Terms You Will Hear
Plain-English definitions of the restoration and insurance terms that come up after a house fire.
Read the guideFire Restoration for Property Managers and Adjusters
How we handle fire losses for property managers, landlords and insurance adjusters: securing, scoping and reporting.
Read the guideQuestions
About these guides
Evelyn Rowe, our fire and smoke guides editor, writes and updates every guide.
No. They are general information. Your policy and your adjuster decide coverage.
Start with what to do after a house fire, or call the line and we will walk you through it.
Mostly, yes. The Michigan-specific parts apply across the state; the Detroit housing notes apply to older homes anywhere in the region.
On the services page, grouped by stage of the job.
Any hour, any day
Need an answer the guides do not cover?
Call the fire and smoke line. We answer 24/7 and can tell you what your house needs next.
Call and find us
Call the fire and smoke line, or find the office
- Phone
- (313) 391-5430
- Hours
- Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Service office
- 19003 Cliff St, Detroit, MI 48234
- Head office
- 12458 Saginaw Road #7, Grand Blanc, MI 48439
- Coverage
- Detroit and Wayne County, north into Oakland and Macomb, west to Livingston and up to Genesee County around Grand Blanc and Flint. See the service region
