What to do after an intervention?

Contact your insurance company as soon as possible. It will appoint a claims adjuster, who will objectively determine the cause and assess the amount of the loss. If the insurance broker immediately comes down to the scene, the fire brigade will be able to indicate the damage caused by the extinction. 

You should also take photographs and draw up a full inventory of all the damaged property. You may wish to base this on your insurance company's inventory. 

You may only enter your home once it has been cleared. The fire brigade must declare the property safe and the police will investigate the cause of the incident. Do you suspect malicious intent? If so, report it immediately by calling 101. 

Are you not allowed back inside after the incident? If so, have your home properly locked by the municipal service or the police. 

Report damage to water, gas or electricity distribution systems and have the supply cut off. 

Important information when returning to your home: 

• Start cleaning up only after the insurance expert has comeby.
• After a chimney fire: Have the chimney swept and/or repaired before using it again. This will prevent carbon monoxide poisoning or another chimney fire. 

Clean-up tips after fire: 

• Small fire debris: Throw these away in residual waste bags. For larger fire debris, contact Bruxelles-Propreté (Net Brussel) via 0800 981 81.
• Food and medicine: Do not consume anything from rooms where there was a fire.
• Refrigerator and freezer: Empty both and throw away the contents. 

Can you no longer stay in your home? 

• Check with your insurance company whether you are entitled to a temporary accommodation.
• No temporary accommodation? If you have nowhere to go, contact the local CPAS/OCMW via Opens in new windowhttps://cpasbxl.brussels/External link.

No doubt, this experience will have left a lasting impression. 

A few tips: 

• Write down important appointments and information to keep track and regain a sense of control.
• Confide in your family or friends. Talking about what you’ve been through will help you process the incident.
• However, sometimes you are so shaken up that talking to family or friends is not enough. In this case, contact your GP. He or she will be able to refer you to a specialist. 

Did the Brussels Fire Brigade turn out for you or a loved one? Did you wish to receive a response report? Then fill in this form and we will send you a response report as soon as possible. 

You can request three types of response reports: 

1. The Fire Brigade report
2. The EMT report
3. The EMT report, accompanied by the medical data sheet