After a house fire what to do first is simple: get everyone out, call 911, and stay out until the fire department says it is safe. A storm that drops a tree on your roof follows the same rule. Tonight, the answer to “can I sleep here?” is usually no, and the eight steps that follow once tonight is over are laid out in our house fire recovery checklist.
A fire or a storm can change your life in minutes. It is late, you are tired, and the kids or your parents are standing beside you. Every voice online says something different, and a lost night of sleep makes each choice harder. Fear and guilt will push you to go back inside. Do not give in to that urge.
Open walls, broken glass, and burned doors do not just look bad. They let in rain, animals, and strangers. Once things get wet, mold can start in 24 to 48 hours.
At Golden Touch Restoration Specialist in Elmont, we help Nassau County families through this exact moment. Most pages explain the weeks after a loss. This guide covers the first night. It gives you a go or no-go test, a call order, local Long Island phone numbers, and a plan for closing up an open house.
You will see advice from the Red Cross, the CDC, New York State, PSEG Long Island, and National Grid. This is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Your policy and your local fire officials decide your case.
Here is what this guide covers:
- A simple test for whether you can stay home tonight
- The exact order of calls to make, with local numbers
- How to handle gas, downed power lines, and carbon monoxide
- How to board up or tarp an opening, and how fast help can arrive
- What your insurer may pay for and what to photograph first
Is It Safe to Stay in Your House Tonight After a Fire or Storm?
No, not until fire authorities say it is safe to go back in and someone qualified has checked the structure, gas, and power. The Red Cross says to stay out of a fire-damaged home until local fire authorities say it is safe to re-enter.
Many people ask if it is safe to sleep in a house after a fire. Use the test below. If even one row is a no-go, sleep somewhere else.
The go or no-go test for tonight
| Check | Go | No-go |
|---|---|---|
| Official word | Fire officials told you it is safe to enter | No clearance yet, or a notice is posted on the home |
| Structure | Floors feel firm, ceilings are flat, roof is intact | Sagging floors or ceilings, cracks, a jammed door, a damaged roof |
| Gas | No smell and no hissing | Any gas smell or hissing: leave now |
| Electric | Panel checked by an electrician | Tripped breakers, burnt smell, damaged wires or meter |
| Air | No heavy smoke smell in sleeping rooms | Strong smoke or soot smell, burning eyes or throat |
| Carbon monoxide | Working battery alarm, no symptoms | Alarm sounds or anyone feels dizzy or sick |
Check the outside first. The Red Cross guide to checking your home after a fire tells you to look for loose power lines, damaged gas lines, and foundation cracks before you step in. It also says not to force a jammed door, because it may be holding up part of the house.
Who decides when it is safe to go back in?
Your local fire authorities tell you when you may re-enter after a fire. In Elmont, you reach them through 911. The Red Cross also says to have a building inspector or contractor verify the structure before you go inside if it looks damaged.
If a building inspector has posted a color-coded sign, do not enter until you learn what it means.
The Town of Hempstead Building Department enforces the rules for unsafe buildings and the use of homes in the town. Its main line is 516-538-8500, at One Washington Street, Hempstead. Its page does not describe fire scenes, so ask them how a vacate or unsafe notice works for your address.
Is smoke or soot a reason to sleep elsewhere?
It can be. Many restoration firms advise against sleeping in a home with heavy smoke odor or soot. That advice comes from the industry, not a health agency, so treat it as a caution. If anyone in your home has asthma or breathing trouble, ask a doctor.
Cleaning methods are a separate topic. Our guide on what fire damage restoration includes covers them.
How long after a fire can you move back in?
There is no fixed number. Ask how long after a fire can you move back in, and the honest answer is that it depends on three things: clearance from officials, safe gas and power, and smoke cleanup. A small kitchen fire may take days. A burned roof may take months.
Your hotel coverage, if you have it, may follow the same timeline. We cover that below.
Who Should You Call After a House Fire, and in What Order?
Call 911 first, then family, then the utilities that can stop a hazard, then your insurer. This order keeps people safe before it protects property.
Here is who to call after a house fire, in order:
| Order | Who | Why | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 911 | Fire, injuries, gas smell, downed wire | 911 |
| 2 | Family | Tell them you are safe | Your phone |
| 3 | Doctor or vet | Burns, smoke, hurt pets | Your provider |
| 4 | National Grid (gas) | Smell of gas, from a safe place | 1-800-490-0045 |
| 5 | PSEG Long Island | Downed wires, outages | 800-490-0075 |
| 6 | American Red Cross | A place to stay tonight | 1-800-RED-CROSS |
| 7 | Insurer or agent | Report the loss, ask about emergency repairs | Number on your policy |
| 8 | Board-up crew | Close openings, document damage | See the section below |
The Red Cross steps after a home fire match the top of this list: call 911, tell your family you are safe, get hurt people and pets to care, and stay out until officials clear the home. If you rent, call your landlord too. If you own, tell your mortgage company.
Say you smell smoke at 2 a.m. in a two-story Elmont home. You get the kids and your elderly mother outside, call 911 from the lawn, and text your sister. You do not go back for the wallet. Everything else on the list can wait until you are safe.
Do not call the insurer first and the fire department second. Never delay 911 to make a claim call.
What Do You Do About Gas, Downed Power Lines, and Carbon Monoxide?
Leave if you smell gas, stay far from any downed wire, and use a battery alarm to watch for carbon monoxide. Do not reconnect gas or power yourself.
Gas
National Grid says to leave immediately if you smell gas, and not to use phones or light switches inside. From a safe place, call 911 or the gas emergency line at 1-800-490-0045. Do not go back in until National Grid says it is safe.
The Red Cross adds that you should leave right away if you hear a hissing sound, then call the fire department once you reach safety.
Power lines, meters, and breakers
PSEG Long Island says to treat every downed wire as live and stay far away. Report it at 800-490-0075, or call 911. Keep children and pets back too.
Look at the point where the wires meet your house. The weatherhead and meter pan belong to the homeowner. If the entrance cable is damaged, a licensed electrician must repair it before PSEG Long Island can safely restore service.
The Red Cross says not to reset tripped breakers. A tripped breaker may point to damaged wiring, so have an electrician inspect it.
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide has no smell, so you need an alarm. The CDC page on carbon monoxide lists these common symptoms:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Upset stomach or vomiting
- Chest pain
- Confusion
They often feel like the flu. If an alarm sounds or anyone has these symptoms, go outside and call 911.
Storms often bring generators. Never run one inside your home or garage. Keep it more than 20 feet from any window, door, or vent. The CDC and PSEG Long Island give the same distance. Place battery-powered alarms near every sleeping area.
If you need emergency board up Elmont NY homeowners can reach at any hour, Golden Touch Restoration Specialist can secure the openings, and our fire damage restoration team can handle the cleanup once the home is safe.
How Do You Secure a House After a Fire or Storm, and How Fast Can a Crew Arrive?
Make the area safe, photograph the damage, then cover every opening with plywood or a tarp. A crew can do this in hours, and our stated goal is to reach you within 30 minutes, 24/7.
If you wonder how to secure a house after a fire, think in three steps: safety, photos, cover.
Step 1: Make it safe before you touch anything
Stay out of rooms with sagging floors, ceilings, or open roof sections. Do not pick up broken glass with bare hands. Keep everyone away from downed lines.
When a tree falls on your house, Progressive’s guidance on trees on property says to stay elsewhere if the roof is badly damaged, supports are compromised, or utility lines are damaged. Once it is safe, you hire a contractor to board up broken windows and holes, and a roofer to tarp the roof.
Step 2: Photograph first
Take photos and video of every opening, the roof, and the yard before anything is covered. Your insurer will want to see what the damage looked like.
Step 3: Choose boards or a tarp
| Opening | Common cover | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Broken window | Plywood panel | Fits tight, keeps out wind and intruders |
| Burned or broken door | Plywood and bracing | Needs solid fastening to the frame |
| Hole in a wall | Plywood or heavy cover | Depends on the size and the damage |
| Damaged roof section | Tarp | Often needs roofer access and fall safety |
Tarps and shrink wrap can work as a short-term cover, but plywood is sturdier on windows and doors. Our post on which materials hold up best for a board-up explains why. When you call any crew, ask what they can cover tonight and whether they handle roof tarps and glass.
Why do they board up a house after a fire?
If you ask why do they board up a house after a fire, the answer is simple. An open house invites rain, animals, and strangers. Boards stop more weather damage, block trespassers, and protect what is left.
Can you board up windows yourself?
Maybe, if the opening is on the ground floor and the frame is sound. Trying to board up windows after storm damage is a poor DIY job on a second story, near a damaged roof, or around broken glass. Bad boards can cost you twice. Read how to board up a property.
How fast can a crew get there?
Speed depends on traffic, weather, and how many homes were hit. We aim to reach you within 30 minutes, day or night. When you call, ask for an arrival window and keep your phone on. To compare companies, read how to choose a water damage restoration company.
Do you need a permit or the adjuster first?
Do not wait for the adjuster to protect the house. We cover that in the next section. For permits, we cannot say either way, so ask the Town of Hempstead Building Department if any rule applies to emergency covers or later repairs.
Will Insurance Pay for a Hotel and Emergency Board-Up?
Often yes, if the loss is a covered peril. Check your declarations page, because your policy sets the limits. Fire hoses can soak floors and walls too. For how water losses are treated, read does homeowners insurance cover water damage.
The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) explains the basics in its homeowners and tenants insurance guide. Here are additional living expenses after a house fire, in plain English:
- Loss of use coverage generally pays the extra cost of living, such as hotel and restaurant bills, when the insurer finds the home is not livable.
- It pays the difference from your normal costs. If you usually cook at home, the extra meal cost counts, not the whole bill.
- On a standard special form policy, DFS says it is typically capped at 20 percent of the dwelling limit.
Do you have to wait for the adjuster before boarding up?
No. DFS lists limiting further damage as your duty after a loss, such as boarding up broken windows. Keep the receipts for temporary fixes, which are generally reimbursed. Make no permanent repairs until the insurer or its representative has inspected.
What are the main insurance steps after a house fire?
These after a house fire insurance steps keep a claim clean:
- Tell your insurer quickly by phone, then confirm in writing.
- Photograph and video the damage before cleanup.
- Keep a log of every call: date, name, what was said.
- Save hotel, meal, and board-up receipts and invoices.
- Write down why the home is not livable and who said so.
- Ask your insurer whether any advance payment is possible.
After you send a proper proof of loss, New York’s claim rule, 11 NYCRR 216.6, gives the insurer 15 business days to accept or reject the claim in writing, or to explain why it needs more time. If the insurer suspects arson, the limit is 30 business days. If you get stuck, the DFS Consumer Hotline is (800) 342-3736.
We help you document the damage. We do not negotiate claims or give legal or financial advice.
What to Photograph, Keep, and Do Yourself Tonight
Photograph everything before it is covered or thrown out, keep every receipt, and leave hazards to professionals.
What should you photograph and keep?
Use your phone and work room by room, if officials let you in. Capture:
- The outside of the home, all four sides, and the roof if you can see it from the ground
- Each damaged room, wide shots first, then close-ups
- Every broken window and door, before any cover goes on
- Damaged belongings, before you move them
- The board-up work, with the crew’s invoice
Ask the fire department for your incident number. The Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office page also links to fire loss reports. Keep damaged items until your insurer says you may discard them. The exception is food that was exposed to heat, smoke, or soot. The Red Cross says to throw that away.
What can you do yourself tonight?
If officials have cleared you to enter, you can do a few safe things:
- Grab medicine, ID, phone chargers, and clothes for a day or two
- Cover a small opening with a sheet of plywood if you can reach it from the ground
- Photograph and write notes
- Tell your family and your insurer where you are staying
Older homeowners should skip ladders and heavy lifting. Landlords should check on tenants first and then photograph shared areas. Busy commuters can hire a crew by phone and handle claim calls from the hotel lobby.
What should you leave to a professional?
Leave these to trained people:
- Structural checks of floors, walls, and roofs
- Gas and electrical repairs
- Roof work
- Boarding second-story openings
- Smoke and soot cleanup
Why Golden Touch Restoration Specialist Is the Right Choice for Fire and Storm Board-Up
You need a team that picks up at 3 a.m. and explains each step in plain English. Here is how we work for families and landlords across Elmont and Nassau County.
- 24/7 emergency response. Our stated goal is to reach you within 30 minutes, any hour. Fast cover means less rain and less risk of theft.
- Board-up and restoration under one roof. Fire, water, mold, air duct cleaning, and board-up are handled by one team. You do not juggle contractors during a crisis.
- Free, no-obligation consultation. We explain pricing before work starts, so you know the cost before you agree.
- Local Elmont base. We work from 20 Sewanee Ave and serve Nassau County and the five boroughs, so we know the local housing and roads.
- Help documenting damage for your insurer. We photograph and record the loss so your claim file is clear.
- Plain-English timelines. You get a clear picture of what happens next, not jargon.
You are not alone tonight, and you do not need to guess.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who investigates a house fire?
The Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office has a Fire Investigations Division at 516-573-9970. We cannot say it investigates every fire, so ask the fire department who is handling yours. Its general line is 516-573-9900.
Is it safe to eat food that was in the house during a fire?
No, not if it was exposed to heat, smoke, or soot. The Red Cross says to throw it away. Food in a closed freezer may be kept only if it was not exposed to heat, smoke or soot and still has ice crystals on it.
What if I have no insurance?
Tell the fire department and the Red Cross right away, and ask what help is available for a place to stay. Keep every receipt and photo anyway. Ask any crew for pricing in writing before work begins.
Do I need to tell my mortgage company about the fire?
Yes. Ready.gov says to tell your mortgage company about the fire. Keep a copy of that notice with your other claim papers.
Should I clean up soot myself?
Wait. Photograph everything first and talk to your insurer. Heavy soot and smoke odor need the right method for each surface, so let a restoration crew handle them.
Final Takeaways
Here is what to remember from tonight, in three short points.
- Stay out until fire officials say it is safe, and sleep elsewhere if any item in the go or no-go test fails.
- Call 911 first, then the utilities, the Red Cross, and your insurer. Photograph the damage before anything is covered.
- Cover open windows, doors, and roofs quickly, and keep every receipt for your insurer.
After a house fire, what to do comes down to safety, then photos, then cover. Do those in order and you protect your family and your claim. The rest can wait for daylight.
Golden Touch Restoration Specialist, 20 Sewanee Ave, Elmont, NY. Phone (347) 551-8094. Website: https://goldentouchrestorationspecialist.com/. Your next step: book a free, no-obligation assessment with our team.
References
- American Red Cross, “Home Fire Recovery”: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/fire/home-fire-recovery.html
- American Red Cross, “Checking Your Home After a Fire”: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/fire/checking-home-after-fire.html
- American Red Cross North Texas, “What to Do After a Home Fire”: https://www.redcross.org/local/texas/north-texas/about-us/news-and-events/news/what-to-do-after-a-home-fire.html
- Ready.gov, “Home Fires”: https://www.ready.gov/home-fires
- NY State Department of Financial Services, “Homeowners and Tenants Insurance Guide”: https://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumers/help_for_homeowners/homeowner_tenant_guide
- NY State Department of Financial Services, “Disaster and Flood Recovery”: https://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumers/disaster_flood
- Cornell Legal Information Institute, “11 NYCRR 216.6”: https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-york/11-NYCRR-216.6
- PSEG Long Island, “Storm Update”: https://www.psegliny.com/Newsroom/2025/101325-StormUpdate1115
- PSEG Long Island, “Equipment Repair Responsibilities”: https://www.psegliny.com/Outages/StormPrepandRestoration/Equipment
- National Grid Long Island, “Gas Safety Newsletter, June 2025”: https://www.nationalgridus.com/Long-Island-NY-Business/About-Your-Bill/Gas-Safety-Newsletter-June-2025
- Town of Hempstead, “Building Department”: https://hempsteadny.gov/191/Building-Department
- Nassau County, “Fire Marshal’s Office”: https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/407/fire-marshals-office
- CDC, “About Carbon Monoxide”: https://www.cdc.gov/carbon-monoxide/about/index.html
- Progressive, “What to Do When a Tree Falls on Your Property”: https://www.progressive.com/answers/tree-fell-on-property/
- NY State Department of Financial Services, “Basic Coverage”: https://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumers/help_for_homeowners/insurance/basic_coverage
