Securing premises after a fire
In the event of a fire involving your property, should you have
any doubt about the suitability and safety of your accommodation
following the fire, contact your neighbourhood housing and social
services regarding alternative accommodation, or your local police
who will endeavour to make contact on your behalf.
How to secure your property
Close all doors and windows as these are an open invitation to
thieves.
Should windows or doors require securing (boarding up), a
contractor can be contacted through business directory to fulfil
this service. As insurance policies differ widely, it is impossible
to state definitely whether this will be covered by your
policy.
If you are a council tenant (Tower Hamlets Homes) and require a
'boarding-up service,' please contact the council’s repairs help
centre on 020 7364 7070.
Please remember where you are responsible for damage to the
property, we may charge you for the repair work.
Contact you local police. Ensure that they know your property is
empty and insecure and remove cash and valuables.
Insurance
- At the earliest date, contact your insurance
company, inform them of the incident, obtain and complete a claims
form
- They may wish to inspect your property before
anything is moved
- Return the form to the address shown on the
claims form
- If you are uninsured, you may be able to get
financial help or furniture, from your local Social Security
Office
- If you have money that is partially burned,
it can be taken to a bank for replacement
- If you rent or lease the property, you may be
required to contact the landlord or his agent.
Power supplies
Electricity
If your internal supply has been affected, your electricity
board will have to re-connect the supply after a qualified
electrician has repaired it (even if only a temporary circuit) and
notified the board of completion. Do not attempt to reconnect or
turn on the supply yourself.
Gas
If any of your gas appliances have been affected by fire, the
fire service or gas supplier will turn off or disconnect your
supply. It is important that either National Grid Gas or an
approved installer inspects and rectifies any problems in the
system before any attempt is made to re-connect or turn on the
supply.
Water
A plumber will be required if your water supply has been
affected. Do not attempt to turn on your water until your system
has been attended by the plumber.
Temporary lighting or heating units are potentially dangerous,
especially if they have been unused or stored for some time. Do not
forget to have these units checked by a competent person before
use.
If you are unsure of the precautions to take when positioning or
filling these appliances, contact the Local Fire Safety Officer on
020 8555 1200. Don't forget when using these appliances to read and
follow the manufacturer's/supplier’s instructions.
If you are a council tenant and your internal domestic supplies
(electricity, gas, water) have been affected, please contact the
council’s repairs help centre on 020 7364 7070 to arrange for the
necessary work to be carried out.
Please remember where you are responsible for damage to the
property, we may carry out the repair work and recharge you for
it.
The clean up
You may wish to seek professional advice when cleaning up your
home.
If you are a council tenant and need help to clean up your home,
please contact your neighbourhood housing office for advice.
For further information
Corporate Health & Safety and Civil
Protection Unit
3rd Floor, Anchorage House
2 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BE
Tel: 020 7364 4193 (office hours only)
Out of office hours, contact Tower Hamlets Council call centre:
0207 364 7070.