The U.S. has been hit by a wave of house fires, and a lot of people are worried about the future of their homes.
Here’s what you need to know.
1.
Home Fires Are Back Homeowners Can’t Restart Homeowners can’t restructure their homes unless they first get permission from the fire department.
And that means it can take up to a year to do so, according to the Federal Fire Marshal Service.
But you can get that permission from your local fire marshal.
“If you can prove your ownership of the home and your financial responsibility to repair it, the process will be much quicker and easier,” said Greg Mays, a spokesman for the National Fire Protection Association.
And you can usually get a quick permit if you live in an area that gets a lot more than 30,000 homes a year.
2.
It’s Not Just the Houses Firefighters Are Working On A lot of the repairs and repairs on the ground have been done by local fire departments.
But firefighters also have been involved in many of the fires.
In 2016, firefighters responded to 3,091 fires, including more than 2,000 cases of arson.
Many of those fires involved structures like a house, car or truck.
“Firefighters are not the only people that have to do this work,” Mays said.
3.
The Risk of House Fire and Flooding Homeowners and their renters often have to pay for repairs on their own.
If the water level in your house rises, you can’t just buy a new water pipe.
So you have to ask your insurance company to pay.
4.
You’ll Need a New Water Pipe A new pipe will usually cost around $200 to $400.
But the costs can be even higher if you’re trying to fix a leak.
In a 2016 study, researchers at the University of Southern California found that in some cases, the average cost of a new pipe was more than $400, while the average price of a replacement was less than $100.
And it can cost you more if the fire damage from the flood or the home collapse is serious enough to affect your ability to pay a bill.
5.
What If Your Water Pipe Woes Out and You Can’t Fix It?
If the pipes are damaged or the water levels drop, you might be forced to buy a brand-new one, Mays added.
“You might have to go into bankruptcy court to get that new pipe,” he said.
If you don’t have a home insurance policy, you should be able to buy one from a local company.
“It’s not a very expensive way to fix your pipes,” May said.
But he added that if the floodwater or fire damage damages your home, the best bet is to buy insurance on the fire or water damage itself.
6.
If Your Home Has Been Damaged in a Fire You can always repair the damage from a fire by repairing the damaged structure, Mates said.
“But if it’s an extensive damage to your home and you can no longer repair the structure yourself, then you’ll have to find a way to replace the damaged components,” he added.
For example, if you damage a window frame and you don,t have a replacement, you could put down a fence, M.J. and her husband built, to hold the damaged portion of the window frame in place.
They can then repair the window and make it more waterproof.
But that could cost you $10,000 to $20,000.
“There are a lot better ways to fix the damage that you’re dealing with,” M. J. said.
7.
Home Insurance and Home Safety Insurance If you need any help with your home insurance, it may be worth taking a look at some of the companies that offer homeowners insurance.
They might offer a limited-time, one-time or recurring policy, which gives you discounts for certain repairs.
And they may offer discounts for home repairs, such as new roofs, walls, doors and windows.
“The best insurance policies are for things that can’t be fixed,” Mitz said.
8.
Get Your Firefighter Insurance First Things First If you have a problem with a fire or other problem, ask your insurer about whether or not they can provide you with fire protection insurance, Mitz added.
You may be able get some discounts.
But if the problem has been with your own house, it’s unlikely you’ll be getting the best insurance.
And Mitz cautions that home insurance is a good place to start if you don