A fire damage assessment is the record of the first careful walk through a building after a fire: whether it is safe and allowed to go in, what the area where the fire started looks like, how badly the structure is hurt, and, room by room, how far the heat, smoke, soot, odor and firefighting water reached. It ends with what needs securing today, what can be cleaned and what has to be replaced, the hazards an older home can hide, and who does what next. Restoration contractors use it to write the scope; adjusters use it to understand the loss. Fill it in here and download a PDF, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
Safety first, and only after the scene is released
Nobody should walk a fire-damaged building until the fire department has released it and the power and gas have been made safe. The form asks those questions first and raises a safety finding for any answer that is not a clear yes, so the report shows the visit started the right way.
Inside, floors burned from below can look sound and fail under weight, ceilings can drop wet drywall, and the air can carry fine soot and fumes long after the smoke clears. The form records the protective gear worn and the parts of the building you stayed out of.
Describe the origin, don't decide the cause
Deciding what caused a fire is the job of the fire marshal, a fire investigator, or an engineer, and it can matter a great deal to a claim and to anyone who might be held responsible. This form has no "cause of fire" field on purpose. It records where the fire is said to have started, who said so, what that area looks like now, and whether an investigation is open.
If the scene has to be preserved, the form says so. Moving debris at the starting point before an investigator has seen it can destroy the very evidence the claim depends on.
Reading the smoke room by room
The kind of residue sets the cleaning method. A hot, fast fire tends to leave a dry powder that vacuums off. A slow, smoldering fire leaves a sticky film that smears when wiped. A kitchen fire can leave a nearly invisible yellowish film with a strong smell, and a furnace puffback leaves an oily black coating through the whole house. Each room entry asks which you see, how far soot traveled, how strong the odor is, and how wet things got from firefighting.
Soot follows air. Look in closets, inside cabinets, around outlets, at carpet edges, behind pictures and inside the registers. Those paths tell you whether a room needs a wipe-down or a full clean, seal and paint.
Asbestos and lead paint in older homes
A fire, and the water and axes that put it out, can break up materials that were safe while intact. In homes built before the 1980s that can include popcorn ceilings, old vinyl floor tiles and their glue, pipe and duct wrap, and some siding and roofing. Sampling before demolition is the safe order of work.
Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint, and burned or blistered paint makes dust. Federal and state lead-safe work rules may apply to the renovation that follows. The form asks the year built and records what you suspect, so testing gets arranged before anyone starts tearing out.
Common questions
What should a fire damage assessment include?
The property and claim details, confirmation that the scene was released and utilities made safe, a description of the area where the fire started, structural damage, a room-by-room record of heat, smoke residue, soot travel, odor and water, the heating and cooling system, contents, board-up or tarp needs, which materials can be cleaned and which replaced, suspected hazards, photos throughout, and the next steps.
Who can determine the cause of a fire?
The fire department, a fire marshal, or a qualified fire investigator. A restoration contractor or adjuster should describe what they see and leave the cause to them. This form records the origin area without naming a cause.
What are the main types of smoke damage?
Restorers commonly sort residue into dry and powdery, wet and sticky, protein film from cooking fires, and oily residue from fuel-burning appliances. Each cleans differently, which is why the form asks about it in every room.
Does the HVAC system need cleaning after a fire?
Often, yes. If the system ran during or after the fire, it can carry soot through every room and back again. The form asks whether it ran, what the filter and registers look like, and whether the system has been kept off until it is cleaned.
When should a fire-damaged home be boarded up or tarped?
As soon as it is released and safe, usually the same day. Open windows, doors and roofs let in rain, weather and intruders, and many policies expect reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage. The form lists what needs securing and whether it has been done.
Is this an official insurance or industry form?
No. It is a working template for recording a fire damage walk-through. Your carrier, your firm or the job may ask for its own format; use this as the field record behind it.