Incident Overview

On 23rd December 2025, Disaster Care Northern Ireland received instruction following a domestic chimney fire at a detached two-bedroom property. The incident resulted in significant smoke and soot contamination across the living room, hallway, stairs, landing and a first-floor bedroom.

The policyholders were elderly residents, and maintaining safe occupancy was a priority. With Christmas approaching, the situation required not only technical expertise but decisive, compassionate action.

Immediate Response: Fire Mitigation

Within 20 minutes of instruction, our team mobilised and attended site the same day to stabilise the loss and begin mitigation.

Two experienced technicians commenced emergency decontamination works during the evening of 23rd December, acting swiftly to prevent further contamination and deterioration. Responding within service level agreement during peak seasonal demand demonstrated our operational resilience and commitment to putting people first.

Technical Intervention

Our mitigation strategy focused on immediate containment, air quality restoration, and odour neutralisation to ensure the home remained safe and habitable.

Works included:

• Emergency smoke and soot decontamination

• Identification and segregation of Beyond Economic Repair (BER) items

• Installation of a HEPA air scrubber to remove airborne smoke particles

• Full surface and contents decontamination

• Thermal fogging to neutralise residual odours

By combining rapid intervention with specialist equipment and trained technicians, we were able to contain the damage effectively while contractors were unavailable over the festive period.

Customer Outcome

Swift action meant the policyholders were able to remain safely in their home over Christmas, avoiding displacement during an already traumatic time.

The intervention prevented the need for alternative accommodation, reduced additional claim costs, and restored peace of mind when it mattered most.

Client Impact

For our insurance partner, the response reduced risk exposure, prevented further deterioration, and demonstrated reliability during a critical seasonal period.

Attending within 20 minutes of instruction reinforced confidence in our ability to respond decisively, even during peak demand. The claim was stabilised efficiently, protecting both customer wellbeing and insurer reputation.

Partner Recognition

We were honoured to receive formal feedback from Crawford & Company following this incident:

“I just wanted to take a moment to express my sincere thanks for all the hard work and professionalism you consistently bring to our partnership. Your reliability, attention to detail, and willingness to go above and beyond do not go unnoticed. A perfect example of this was when I instructed Disaster care on 23^rd Dec for an urgent fire claim you arranged within 20 mins to be at the premises and mitigate the damage to enable the elderly Clients to remain at home over Christmas. DisasterCare worked hard to ensure that the structural damage was covered as the contractors could not attend before Christmas. The Insured were delighted during a traumatic time with the care and efficiency that you showed and indeed in every interaction of our claims please know that this does not go unnoticed. Your quick response and dedication made a significant difference to both the Insured and Crawford & Co, and we truly appreciate it. Thank you again for your outstanding support — it is genuinely valued.” Shirley McLaughlin, Digital Adjuster

Conclusion

This case demonstrates how care, expertise and innovation combine to deliver right-first-time outcomes, even in the most time-sensitive circumstances.

By acting decisively, maintaining occupancy, and protecting both customer wellbeing and insurer interests, Disaster Care delivered what we stand for: Resilience Restored.