Fire & Smoke Damage | Norcia Insurance Consultants

Fire Prevention Week 2022

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Norcia Insurance Consultants

Each year since 1922 during the week of October 9, the NFPA sponsors Fire Prevention Week. Fire Prevention Week is held annually commemorating the Great Chicago Fire and is the longest running public health observance. This week is marked every year by a theme to keep people safe in case of fires. This year’s theme is “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.”

For the 100^th anniversary of NFPA sponsoring Fire Prevention Week, they wanted to focus on how to keep yourself and others nearby safe in case of a fire. Today’s homes burn faster than ever, so time is of the essence if a fire occurs. In some situations, you may only have two minutes or less to escape safely after the smoke alarm first sounds.

As timing is so important, there is truly no time to waste trying to figure out the best escape route. This Fire Prevention Week, sit down with your family and discuss a fire escape route and plan. Decide which exits make most sense based on where you are in the house and where you will meet up outside to avoid confusion about who escaped.

This is also a good time to discuss responsibilities. Who is in charge of calling emergency personnel? Do you have pets that you need to include in your plan – and can you do so without risking your own safety? Is there someone living in your house that won’t be able to escape without assistance? Who is expected to help them out?

The best escape plans include two possible exits from each room and are easy for everyone to remember. If it helps, draw a map to indicate exits and a permanent landmark for a meeting place close by (but far enough away to be safe).

Once plans are in place – practice, practice, practice. The more you practice, the more comfortable each member of your household will be in case of a true emergency.

Additionally, take the time each month to test your smoke alarms. With how little time there is to escape safely in case of fire, it is imperative that you have as much heads up as possible and your smoke alarms work effectively.

This week, take the time to make sure that you are prepared. The more prepared you are, the better the outcomes will be if an emergency occurs.

If you have recently experienced a fire and need a public adjuster to help you get the best-case scenario from your insurance company, trust Norcia Insurance Consultants. Call us at 866-512-LOSS (5677) or request a free consultation!

Safety Messages about Smoke Alarms for Fire Prevention Week

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Norcia Insurance Consultants

The content for this blog is taken from the National Fire Protection Association. October 9-15 is Fire Prevention Week with a focus on replacing smoke alarms every 10 years.

Smoke alarms are a key part of a home fire escape plan. When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast. Working smoke alarms give you early warning so you can get outside quickly.

Safety Tips

A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Install alarms in the basement.
Large homes may need extra smoke alarms.
It is best to use interconnected smoke alarms. When one smoke alarm sounds they all sound.
Test all smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.
There are two kinds of alarms. Ionization smoke alarms are quicker to warn about flaming fires. Photoelectric alarms are quicker to warn about smoldering fires. It is best to use both types of alarms in the home.
A smoke alarm should be on the ceiling or high on a wall. Keep smoke alarms away from the kitchen to reduce false alarms. They should be at least 10 feet (3 meters) from the stove.
People who are hard-of-hearing or deaf can use special alarms. These alarms have strobe lights and bed shakers.
Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.
Smoke alarms are an important part of a home fire escape plan.

Plan your Escape

Your ability to get out of your house during a fire depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.
Get everyone in your household together and make a home escape plan. Walk through your home and look for two ways out of every room.
Make sure escape routes are clear of debris and doors and windows open easily. Windows with security bars or grills should have an emergency release device.
Plan an outside meeting place where everyone will meet once they have escaped. A good meeting place is something permanent, like a tree, light pole or mailbox, a safe distance in front of the home.
If there are infants, older adults, family members with mobility limitations or children who do not wake to the sound of the smoke alarm, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the event of an emergency.
If the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside. Respond quickly – get up and go, remember to know two ways out of every room, get yourself outside quickly, and go to your outside meeting place with your family.
Learn more about home escape planning.

Children and Smoke Alarms

NFPA is aware of research indicating that sleeping children don’t always awake when a smoke alarm activates. While this research is worrisome, we shouldn’t allow them to obscure the fact that smoke alarms are highly effective at reducing fire deaths and injuries.

NFPA reaffirms the value of the smoke alarms already available to protect people from home fire deaths and voice its concern about the number of U.S. households without these early warning devices. While 96 percent of American homes have at least one smoke alarm, no smoke alarms were present or none operated in two out of five (41%) of the reported home fires between 2003-2006. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

NFPA emphasizes the need to continue planning and practicing home fire escape plans and to make sure everyone in a home can be awakened by the sound of the smoke alarm. NFPA suggests practicing the escape plan during which the smoke alarm is activated so all family members know its sound.

Every home fire escape plan is different, and every family should know who will – and who won’t – awaken at the sound of the smoke alarm. If someone doesn’t wake up when the alarm sounds during a drill, the family should design an escape plan that assigns a grown-up who is easily awakened by the alarm to wake the sleepers, perhaps by yelling “FIRE,” pounding on the wall or door, or blowing a whistle.

Norcia wants everyone to be safe in their homes, specifically from the threat of a fire. If you would like more information about smoke alarms and how to keep your home and family safe, please visit the public education section of NFPA’s website. If you experience a damaging fire in your home, Contact Us for assistance with insurance claims and working through the property damage.

Fireplace Safety Tips

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Norcia Insurance Consultants

For many families, winter months mean sitting around their wood-burning fireplace and enjoying the warmth and comfort of a crackling fire while roasting marshmallows and spending quality time with one another. But, as many of us know, a fireplace and chimney can be fire hazards if not properly used and cared for. As an insurance adjuster in Minnesota, we have helped countless homeowners whose houses have sustained damage as a result of a chimney fire, so here are a few tips on how to make sure yours is as safe to use as possible.

At least once a year, preferably either right before or right after winter, have your chimney professionally inspected and cleaned. Every time you have a fire in your fireplace, creosote forms. Creosote is a black and sticky flammable substance that needs to be cleaned off on a regular basis to ensure it doesn’t ignite and cause a fire.
Make sure you only burn wood that is dry and cured. This means the logs need to have been split, stacked and dried for at least 8 to 12 months. You should make sure the log pile has a cover on top of it, but leave the sides open to allow for air to properly flow through.
In your fireplace, make sure the only thing you are burning is wood. Do not burn lumber scraps, construction scraps, painted wood or other pieces of treated wood. These types of wood could release harmful chemicals into your home, and it could affect the indoor air quality at your house. You can use starter logs to start the fire if you need to, but just be sure to use only one of them at a time since they burn very hot.
When you don’t have a fire going in your fireplace, make sure you close the damper to keep the warm air from getting out. And when you are burning a fire in your fireplace, make sure you keep the glass doors open to allow the heat of the fire to get into the room.
Make sure you have a cap on top of your chimney that is in good working order. The cap will help keep animals from nesting in your chimney (which is a fire hazard in and of itself), and they also help reduce downdrafts. A professional chimney sweep can check your cap as a part of your annual inspection and they can install a new one if need be.

For more information on how to hire an insurance adjuster in Minnesota, call Norcia Insurance Consultants at 866-512-LOSS (5677), or you can contact us to set up your Free Consultation.

Public Insurance Adjusters Perspective: How Safe is Minneapolis?

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Norcia Insurance Consultants

There are many of us who have lived in Minnesota our whole lives. Have you ever stopped to consider how safe it is to live here, in terms of natural disasters? In this blog, we’re only going to cover a few of the most significant natural disasters that affect our state. If you live in Minnesota, our team of Minneapolis public insurance adjusters can help you recover after one of these major events. We can work with you to get what you deserve from the insurance company.

Tornadoes
Though tornadoes around the Twin Cities rarely reach a deadly magnitude, we reside right on the cusp of Tornado Alley. The number of reported tornadoes has increased in recent years, but the number of lives claimed has decreased. This is most likely due to upgraded weather tracking technology available today. There were a reported 37 tornados in Minnesota in 2012, heavily concentrated in the summer months. Out of a reported 932 confirmed tornadoes in the United States, 37 is a relatively low number. This says to us, that in terms of tornadoes, Minnesota is a pretty safe place to live. These storms can still cause substantial property damage, and insurance claims have undoubtedly been filed.

Wildfires
The subject of wildfires has been in the news a lot recently. In the same way tornadoes are capable of causing damage, wildfires can cause a lot of property damage. Minnesota had a large increase in wildfire activity in 2012. That being said, we still had fewer fires than most of the country. We haven’t surpassed the national average in over five years. Again, this leads us to believe that of all the places to live in the United States, Minnesota is a good choice. We thoroughly understand the impact on those in Minnesota who have been affected by a wildfire. If you’re in need after a wildfire, we can help.

Out of these two considerations, our opinion is Minnesota is a pretty safe place to reside. This doesn’t mean that these occurrences don’t happen. You still need to practice safety precautions at all times.

To get a Minnesota public insurance adjuster on your side, call Norcia Insurance Consultants today at 566-512-LOSS (5677) or Request a Free Consultation.

Fire Insurance Claims: 5 Tips for Filing

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Norcia Insurance Consultants

Fire continues to be a continuing threat to properties, and insurance companies are trying to cut corners on fire insurance claims in order to save money. Since the threat continues to increase, homeowners need to be familiar with how to file a fire insurance claim. There are few experiences more devastating than losing all your belongings and home, so the last thing you need to deal with is your insurance company giving you a hard time about the claim. Here are tips to follow when dealing with fire insurance claims:

Ask for an advance against your ultimate claim
If dangerous conditions forced you to evacuate, meaning you were unable to grab essentials, don’t panic: call your insurance company and ask that someone bring a check to you, so you’re able to buy necessities. Take care of your needs, but don’t buy frivolous or the most expensive items. The amount you get in advance will be deducted from your final claim.
Make a list of losses; don’t throw anything away
Begin putting together your list of losses immediately so you can remember what was lost to fire. Don’t throw anything away, as the insurance adjuster will want to see these things to include them in the coverage.
File your claim right away and ask the company for immediate action
Most policies require homeowners to file their claims ASAP. Call your agent immediately to get the process started. If you don’t, you could find yourself on the bottom of the list and it could be quite some time before an adjuster reaches you. Since you are acting as quickly as possible, your insurance company will need to do the same. If you find they are taking too long to get in touch with you, let them know you will get in touch with the appropriate state officials, and this should prompt them to act.
Secure your property
Your insurance company will require you to take reasonable care of your property, so you need to do everything you can to secure it from further damage. If there is a total loss, then this is unnecessary, but it only one are of the home was damaged, you’ll need to be proactive in taking actions to prevent against further damage.
Monitor living expenses
Your policy includes a “loss of use” clause, meaning you will be reimbursed for living expenses while you’re displaced. However, be aware you’re only entitled to the difference between what you spent when you were displaced and what you spent while you lived at home. If you’re staying with loved ones during this time, then your hosts might be reimbursed for these costs, so ask them to itemize additional costs.

If you find you’re having issues with getting your claim, then it’s time to get in touch with a qualified public adjuster like Norcia Insurance Consultants. Call us now at (866) 512-5677.