A typical re-entry sequence
Order and timing depend on the fire, the agencies involved and whether your neighborhood had homes destroyed. Follow official notices rather than this outline when they differ.
- Before orders lift
- Watch city, county and sheriff notices and the regional emergency alert system for re-entry dates, checkpoints and whether identification or proof of residence is required.
- First re-entry
- Some neighborhoods open for short supervised visits before full return. Bring identification, sturdy shoes, gloves, respirators and a flashlight.
- Utilities
- Gas service shut off during the fire usually has to be restored by the utility, which may need to relight pilot lights. Don't turn gas valves back on yourself.
- First full day
- Walk the exterior before going in, then air the house out if outdoor air quality allows. Photograph each room before cleaning anything.
- First week
- Report damage to your insurer, discard refrigerated food if power was out for long, and decide whether the house needs a professional smoke inspection.
Exterior walk-around before going inside
- Roof and gutters: look for ember holes, scorched shingles and piles of ash or needles in the gutters
- Decks and fences: check for charring at board seams and where the deck meets the siding
- Vents and screens: note melted or missing screens on soffit, foundation and gable vents
- Windows: look for cracked panes or warped vinyl frames on the side facing the fire
- Gas meter and propane tank: confirm no hissing or odor and no visible damage
- Trees: watch for burned-through trunks or large limbs hanging over the house or driveway
Inside: what a home that didn't burn often shows
Houses near a fire line that survived intact commonly have a film on horizontal surfaces, smoke odor concentrated in closets and soft furnishings, and ash tracked in through doors opened during the evacuation. Windows left cracked open let in considerably more residue than closed ones.
Resist the urge to deep-clean everything on the first afternoon. Wiping soot with a wet rag can smear it into paint and grout, and some insurers want to see damage before anything is cleaned. A quick dry dusting of the kitchen and one sleeping area is reasonable if the household needs to stay; the rest can wait for an inspection or an adjuster's visit.
Replace the furnace filter before running heating or cooling, and keep fans off until you know whether the attic and ducts took on ash. If anyone in the household has asthma, heart disease or another sensitivity, consider staying elsewhere until the air inside tests clean or the cleanup is done.
Questions to ask when you call your insurer
- Does my policy pay for additional living expenses while the house is being cleaned, even though it didn't burn?
- Do you need to inspect before I throw away food, clothing or anything smoke-damaged?
- Will you pay for an independent smoke or air quality assessment if odor persists?
- How should I document items I clean myself so the time and supplies are considered?
- Is there a deadline for reporting smoke damage that I should know about?
General information for Colorado Springs, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.