TL;DR: If your home caught fire in Chicago, call 911 first if the fire isn’t fully out or anyone is hurt, then your insurer, then a restoration company to board up the property and start the cleanup. Dry Bros answers 24/7 at (877) 379-2767 for board-up, smoke damage, and contents restoration once the Chicago Fire Department clears the scene.
A house fire in Chicago sets off a chain of phone calls almost immediately: 911, your insurance agent, maybe a cousin who can put you up for the night. The order matters. Call the wrong person first, or skip a call most people don’t think of, like requesting your Chicago Fire Department incident report, and you can slow your insurance claim down by weeks. Here’s the order that actually works and what each call should cover.
Who Do I Call First After a House Fire in Chicago?
Call 911 first, every time, if the fire is still active, anyone is injured, or you’re not certain everyone made it out. The Chicago Fire Department responds to all structure fires in the city and controls the scene until it’s safe.
Once CFD declares the fire out, they’ll tell you whether you can go back in to grab essentials or whether the building needs to stay sealed. Don’t re-enter on your own if they’ve red-tagged the structure. Fire damage combined with firefighting water often leaves floors, ceilings, and stairs unstable even when the damage looks survivable from the doorway.
What Order Should the Rest of the Calls Go In?
After the fire department, the order is: somewhere to sleep tonight, the Red Cross if you don’t have one, your insurance company to open the claim, then a restoration company to secure the property before you leave it unattended.
- Family, friends, or a hotel. Lock down where you’re staying tonight before anything else.
- American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. If you have nowhere to go, Red Cross disaster teams provide emergency lodging, clothing, and basic necessities after a home fire. See the Red Cross’s own guidance on what to do after a home fire.
- Your insurance company. Call before you clean anything up or throw damaged items away. Most standard homeowners policies cover fire as a named peril, including smoke damage and Additional Living Expenses while the home isn’t livable, per the Insurance Information Institute. Photograph everything first.
- A restoration company, for board-up and securing the property. Windows, doors, or roof sections burned through or vented by firefighters need to be sealed the same day. Left open, they invite weather, theft, and more smoke settling into the walls. This is usually the first restoration call, often ahead of the detailed damage assessment.
- Utilities, if CFD or a fire marshal flags gas or electrical damage, before service gets restored to the home.
What Happens When You Call a Restoration Company?
The first call to a restoration company usually covers three things: confirming the property is secured, scheduling a same-day or next-day damage assessment, and coordinating with your insurance adjuster so the scope of work matches your claim.
Have your policy number and claim number ready if you have one, plus the CFD incident number if the crew gave you one on scene. Dry Bros is licensed and insured and takes these calls 24/7 across Chicago and the near suburbs, from Portage Park to Beverly.
On arrival, a crew boards up broken windows and roof openings, tarps exposed sections, and photographs the pre-fire condition of the home for the claim file before anything is moved. If smoke odor has settled into drywall and fabric, they’ll typically set up air scrubbers the same visit. See the full fire damage restoration process for how the drying, soot removal, and smoke damage restoration phases unfold after board-up, and what contents restoration looks like for salvageable belongings like furniture and electronics.
How Do I Get the Chicago Fire Department Incident Report for My Insurance Claim?
Ask the responding company for your incident number before they leave the scene, then follow up with the Chicago Fire Department’s records office for the written report. Insurers almost always ask for this report before they’ll finalize a fire claim, so request it in the first few days rather than waiting.
Your adjuster may also want the restoration company’s own assessment, including photos and a written scope of damage, as a second source that lines up with the official report. Keeping both documents together speeds up the claim.
If you’re still deciding who to hire for the restoration work itself, our guide on choosing a fire damage restoration company in Chicago covers what to check before you sign anything.
Make the board-up and insurance calls the same day as the fire if at all possible. Call Dry Bros at (877) 379-2767 to get the property secured and the fire damage assessment started.
About Dry Bros
Dry Bros is a licensed and insured restoration company serving Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, including Naperville, Evanston, and Oak Park, 24/7. The crew handles fire damage restoration, smoke damage restoration, emergency board-up and tarping, and contents restoration, along with water, mold, and storm damage recovery across the region. This guide was prepared with input from Amin Mashouf and the team members who take these calls.