My house is on fire.
Everyone is out safe. I’m at work.
I feel numb.
Update: it turns out my room was the least damaged because my door was closed. And I am deeply deeply hurt for my friends who lived with me and lost more, but I’m only human and therefore can’t help being relieved about this
One of the firefighters moved my dolls further away from the fire while they were in there putting it out. I think I will remember that forever. Of course, they’re not people and they don’t matter as much as the lives that were in the building (and again, are completely fine and safe, to be clear; that’s what matters far more than any objects)
But. Well. It still means a lot to me, since everyone is in fact OK
Second update: my landlord is now saying we’re not going to be allowed to get our intact stuff back. This does not seem legal, so I’m busy putting everyone’s feet to the fire about it.
If anyone has any advice about this, I would really appreciate it. I’m going to be contacting my city and the fire department specifically to see what they can do
I and my housemates are not willing to let our belongings go without a fight, since some of them are still salvageable in there per the firefighters

That absolutely does not sound legal. Speak to the fire department perhaps the police’s non-emergency line if you feel comfortable doing so.
Like, I cannot think of any reason at all why your landlord should have any claim to your stuff, regardless of the state of it. It’s your fucking stuff.
The only thing I can think that might delay it would be if there’s a fire investigation under way and they need to keep the scene intact, but once that happens you should be able to collect your belongings.
Just in case, I’d see if there’s a housing lawyer that does pro-bono work (if you need that) or if there’s a housing advocate in your city.
the only reason you couldn't go back in would be if the building was somehow unsound. Maybe your landlord is covering their butt legally? If that's the case maybe you can ask if you can just sign a waver and get your stuff.
Hi, person here who’s dealt with a house fire and needing to retrieve belongings after the house was deemed “uninhabitable” due to substantial damage. Fire dpt will do a walk through and ensure there are no remaining hot spots, they’ll also check for any potential areas that may fall/cave in (roof or floor) Gas/electricity will have been shut off already by this point. After that they will make the determination if the building/space can be safely entered by non fire personnel. Ultimately the fire department has final say on if the house is safe for re-entry following the fire, not your landlord. If the fire dept deemed it unsafe for re-entry you will NOT be able to go back and retrieve anything. You should be able to contact the fire department to see if they gave some sort of no-entry decree, you can also contact them for a report/case number for any sort of renters insurance you have (You can also possibly use this reason to gain access to the building for documentation purposes) In the event you can get back in and get your belongings my recommendations: wear shoes/clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, wear a mask, bring gloves. bring flashlights/head lamps Things are going to be wet, slimy, sooty, and gross. Any items in rooms directly affected by fire are likely a total loss- if not from fire damage, they’ll bey soaked in burned wood,paint, metal, plastic, etc (all the stuff houses and buildings are made of, washed down by the water)
For items not in rooms directly affected by fire your main concern is smoke. Bag any anything that is pours and washable in a washing machine (clothes, linens, plushies, etc) that were in rooms not directly effected by fire. wash these as soon as possible. Throw out any larger cloth/textile items that can’t be washed. Box/bag hard surface items and at the first possible chance clean them either with soap and water if possible or damp cloth. for items you can’t wash and may only be able to wipe down, boxing with activated charcoal or baking soda for a few days may help, but some surfaces soak smoke more than others so results may not always be great.
