Home fire recovery resources for Portland residents

12/14/2020 (Permalink)

If you’ve experienced a traumatic fire event at your home, the road to recovery can be confusing to navigate. Here at SERVPRO of Northwest Portland, we’re always checking in with our customers to see what support we can offer, especially in the days right after the fire occurs. 

According to The Red Cross, people who experience a fire event may be:

• Feeling physically and mentally drained 
• Having difficulty making decisions or staying focused on topics
• Feeling frustration more quickly and more often
• Arguing more with family and friends
• Feeling tired, sad, numb, lonely, or worried
• Experiencing changes in appetite or sleep patterns

The Red Cross has a variety of resources to help individuals recovering from disasters. Here are some tips they recommend for the recovery process:

First, take care of your safety. Find a safe place to stay and make sure your physical health needs and those of your family are addressed.

Eat healthy. During times of stress it is important that you maintain a balanced diet and drink plenty of water. 

Get some rest. With so much to do, it may be difficult to have enough time to rest or get adequate sleep. Giving your body and mind a break can boost your ability to cope with the stress you may be experiencing.

Stay connected with family and friends. Giving and getting support is one of the most important things you can do.

Be patient with yourself and with those around you. Recognize that everyone is stressed and may need some time to put their feelings and thoughts in order. 

Set priorities. Tackle tasks in small steps.

Gather information about assistance and resources that will help you and your family members meet your disaster-related needs. 

Stay positive. Remind yourself of how you’ve successfully gotten through difficult times in the past. Reach out when you need support, and help others when they need it.

Lastly, we recommend checking in with a PR liaison. If you haven’t been in touch with our SERVPRO Priority Response Team, please know that we are here to help you navigate the recovery process. Our PR team members have worked with a variety of people recovering from traumatic fire events, and we can help you figure out some next steps. 

SERVPRO of Northwest Portland knows how intimidating the first steps of recovery can be after a home fire - we are here to help. Call us any day, any time at 503-283-3658. If you’d like to reach out to our Priority Response Team, you can call the PR manager, Race Schwarzbach, at 971-334-0189.

Source: The Red Cross.