Texas Fire Damage Attorney

Common Types of Fires in Texas

The Texas Department of Insurance estimates that in 2020, fires caused more than $636 million worth of property damage claims. The agency notes that nearly 8,000 fires occurred that year. 

Although a fire can start just about anywhere, there are a few types of fires that home and business owners suffer most often:

• Kitchen Fires: The most common type of fire in Texas, usually caused by unattended pots and pans, excessive grease or oil that boils over, or malfunctioning culinary equipment are the main culprits
• Electrical Fires: These fires can be caused by faulty wiring, malfunctioning electrical devices, or overloaded circuits
• Heating Equipment Fires: Fires caused by a defective space heater, furnace, or other heating equipment are most common in wintertime
• Wildfires: Perhaps the most frightening type of fire in Texas is wildfires. Texas is prone to wildfires, even in the densely populated metro areas. Drought conditions, lighting strikes, or human carelessness can cause wildfires.

To give you an idea of how devastating wildfires in Texas can be, consider these facts:

• In 2021, nearly 7 million acres of land and property were damaged by wildfires
• Human carelessness is the reason for more than 85% of wildfires
• Texas had the second-highest number of wildfires in 2021, at 5,576

Wildfire damage can cause extensive damage to your house or commercial property, and even if you’ve paid all your insurance premiums on time, you still may not have all your losses covered. Our Dallas and Houston wildfire lawyers can help you recover what you’re due.

Typical Fire Damage Claims in Texas

No matter the fire’s cause, the effects are the same. Your home or business may suffer one or more of the following types of fire damage:

Property Damage

The structure of your home or business and its contents, fixtures, and furnishings may be damaged.

Interruption of Your Business

If your business closes, either temporarily or permanently, you may receive compensation for the loss in profits while you rebuild.

Soot and Smoke Damage

Even if the flames don’t cause serious structural damage, the interior of your house or office may still suffer toxic, foul-smelling smoke damage. Smoke and soot damage can be quite costly to clean up.

There are several types of smoke, each causing specific types of damage, including:

• Wet Smoke: A consequence of a slow-burning, smoldering kind of fire, wet smoke usually produces thick, oily smoke that leaves behind a hard-to-clean sticky residue
• Dry Smoke: Usually the result of a fast-burning fire, dry, powdery smoke can be difficult to remove from some materials but is generally easier to clean than wet smoke
• Protein Smoke: Occurring with a food-cooking fire (or a fire burning other organic material), this smoke damage is difficult to remove and leaves behind a very strong, distinctive odor
• Chemical Smoke: Results from fires involving synthetic materials, plastics, and other types of chemicals, and cleaning the smoke damage left behind from these fires requires special cleaning equipment and techniques

Many buildings may have smoke residue, which may be noticeable discoloration or a visible residue. Smoke residue includes ash, soot, or other smoke-related debris.

Water Damage

Damage from water may not be the first thing people think of when they think of fire damage, but in many cases, the water your fire department uses to put out the fire can cause more damage than the fire and smoke — especially if it’s not cleaned up immediately, and mold or mildew start growing.

Each property requires different approaches to cleaning and restoring it, from odor removal to mold remediation. You should be compensated for all the necessary cleaning.

Understanding Fire and Smoke Damage Coverage

Property owners may have smoke and fire insurance separate from their general insurance coverage policy. Business owners may have smoke damage coverage for damaged items in their facility, and homeowners may have coverage for damage to clothing, furniture, and other personal items.

Your homeowner's insurance policy may cover your belongings. And the extent of the policy coverage for damage after a wildfire or other kind of fire may also include:

• Trees and other valuable outdoor foliage;
• Property outbuildings, like gazebos, garages, and sheds;
• Appliances, electronics, and devices;
• Personal effects, like clothing and furniture;
• Structural damage to your home or business.

Beyond covering your actual damaged property, many homeowners' fire damage insurance policies also cover your relocation while your home is repaired, like a hotel stay, restaurant bills, and other expenses you wouldn’t have incurred had the fire not happened.

Texas homeowners aren’t the only ones who benefit from a fire insurance policy. Business owners may be eligible to claim multiple losses after a fire, including:

• Property and structural damage to the building;
• Cessation of operations or the anticipated missed business income;
• Suspension of business or coverage of operating expenses that the business cannot meet due to fire damage.

Extra expenses, such as relocating the business somewhere else to continue operating, ordering supplies from a new location, or paying extra for employees to keep operating going, may be eligible as well.

How Can Our Fire Damage Lawyers Help You?

Property owners believe that their fire insurance company will do right by them after a devastating emergency. Unfortunately,  this is not always the case.

Insurance companies are notorious for undervaluing or denying legitimate claims, leaving a residential or commercial property owner with thousands of dollars in repairs to pay.

To ensure you receive all the benefits from your business or home insurance policy, contact the legal team at Omar Ochoa Law Firm today to schedule a free consultation with a skilled insurance claims lawyer.

As your legal representative, we will:

• Evaluate your insurance policy and the extent of your coverage;
• Assist you in filing the fire insurance claim and negotiate with the insurance provider on your behalf;
• Represent you in legal proceedings, including mediation, arbitration, and litigation.

We’re by your side every step of the way!