Fire Claim Intake Checklist
Field-ready fire claim intake checklist: secure the site, capture origin and migration evidence, flag HVAC and contents scope, and open a supplement-ready file before production locks in carrier assumptions.
Claims Ninja Operations
Purpose
Establish a complete fire claim file in the first site visit — before soot is wiped, contents are moved, or HVAC runs — so migration, HVAC, contents, and structural scope can be defended when the carrier estimate arrives.
When to use
New fire loss assigned and crew dispatched for initial assessment
Signal: Claim number issued, property accessible, emergency scope not yet complete
Carrier adjuster scheduled within 24–48 hours and field evidence must be captured first
Signal: Adjuster appointment on calendar; origin room still visible
Multi-room or multi-unit fire where migration scope is likely but not yet on any estimate
Signal: Smoke visible in halls, upper floors, or adjoining units
Contents pack-out or HVAC restart requested before documentation is complete
Signal: Homeowner or PM asking to move items or turn system on
Prerequisites
- Claim number, policyholder contact, and carrier adjuster info in job file
- Camera or job-management photo workflow with room-label convention
- Contents inventory template or pack-out checklist ready
Required documentation
Site security and emergency scope photos
Board-up, tarp, fencing, or shoring with wide and close shots; date-stamped notes on what was secured and why.
Origin room pre-mitigation photo set
Wide context plus ceiling, wall, floor, and fixture close-ups before cleaning changes the scene.
Migration walk documentation
Photos in halls, closets, upper floors, utility spaces, and adjoining rooms — even when damage looks minor.
HVAC status and register photos
System off confirmation, filter condition, register staining, and note whether system ran during or after fire.
Contents survey and high-value item photos
Room-located inventory start; photograph questionable and high-value items before pack-out.
File naming and room index started
Claim number plus room label plus date in filenames; one-page room list matching walk order.
Quality gates
Origin room photographed before any wipe-down
Initial fire conditions are irreplaceable after cleaning starts.
Migration walk includes halls, closets, and upper floors
HVAC status documented and restart deferred until inspection
Room names consistent across photos, inventory, and job notes
Execution checklist
- 1
Secure site and document emergency scope
Field- Confirm utilities status with homeowner and document HVAC off before restart.
- Photograph board-up, tarp, shoring, or fencing with wide and close shots.
- Log emergency scope narrative: what was secured, what remains exposed, and access restrictions.
Emergency lines need contemporaneous photos — board-up invoiced without contemporaneous intake photos often reduces credibility on emergency line review.
- 2
Document fire origin before cleaning
Field- Capture wide and close photos of origin room ceilings, walls, floors, cabinets, and fixtures.
- Note suspected fire source area and burn pattern direction for path narrative later.
- Photograph matching finishes and profiles before removal decisions are made.
- 3
Walk migration path and photograph affected spaces
Field- Walk halls, stairwells, closets, upper floors, attic access, and crawlspace openings.
- Photograph soot, staining, and odor observations in each space with room labels.
- Flag rooms missing from adjuster sketch for supplement coordinator review.
Migration halls and closets drive supplement value — do not stop at the origin room.
- 4
Flag HVAC and contents scope at intake
Project Manager- Photograph registers, returns, filter, and equipment before any restart.
- Start room-located contents inventory; photo high-value items in place.
- Assign HVAC inspection and contents pack-out guides to field leads before next visit.
- 5
Open supplement-ready file structure
Office- Create folders or tags: origin, migration, HVAC, contents, structural, emergency.
- Enter room index with photo count and key observations per room.
- Schedule 48-hour estimate review and link smoke, HVAC, and contents guides to job.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Impact | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning origin room before wide and close intake photos are captured | Desk reviewers cannot verify pre-mitigation damage; cleaning scope reduces. | Photograph origin and migration paths before any wipe-down or pack-out. |
| Restarting HVAC before filter, register, and duct inspection are documented | Contamination spreads to unaffected rooms; HVAC supplement credibility drops. | Leave system off until HVAC contamination guide inspection is complete. |
| Pack-out without room-located inventory and item photos | Contents cleaning and replacement lines lack proof; proportional cuts follow. | Inventory and photograph items in place before moving off-site. |
| Origin-room-only documentation on multi-room smoke losses | Migration supplements look like late scope inflation without hall and upper-floor photos. | Walk the full migration path at intake and photograph every affected space. |
Cleaning origin room before wide and close intake photos are captured
Impact: Desk reviewers cannot verify pre-mitigation damage; cleaning scope reduces.
Correction: Photograph origin and migration paths before any wipe-down or pack-out.
Restarting HVAC before filter, register, and duct inspection are documented
Impact: Contamination spreads to unaffected rooms; HVAC supplement credibility drops.
Correction: Leave system off until HVAC contamination guide inspection is complete.
Pack-out without room-located inventory and item photos
Impact: Contents cleaning and replacement lines lack proof; proportional cuts follow.
Correction: Inventory and photograph items in place before moving off-site.
Origin-room-only documentation on multi-room smoke losses
Impact: Migration supplements look like late scope inflation without hall and upper-floor photos.
Correction: Walk the full migration path at intake and photograph every affected space.
Supplement opportunities
Carrier first estimate includes origin room only while migration photos exist
Indexed migration folders with path narrative from origin to affected rooms.
Line item hint: Smoke wipe, seal, and cleaning lines in halls, bedrooms, and closets
HVAC registers show staining distant from fire origin
Register photos, filter condition, and system-off log at intake.
Line item hint: Duct cleaning, filter replacement, coil service, and system inspection
Contents density and high-value items visible on walkthrough
Room-located inventory with photos before pack-out.
Line item hint: Contents manipulation, pack-out, cleaning, and storage lines
Related resources
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Solutions
FAQ
Common questions
Quick answers related to this procedure.
Yes, until inspection is documented. Running the system before filter, register, and duct evidence is captured spreads contamination and weakens HVAC supplement files.
Halls, closets, stairwells, upper floors, utility spaces, attic and crawlspace access points, and any adjoining unit or tenant space with visible soot, stain, or odor.
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