A close relative's house burned this fall, so I can relate to this subject. It was in western Europe, so it probably differs from the US experience: insurance w

A close relative's house burned this fall, so I can relate to this subject. It was in western Europe, so it probably differs from the US experience: insurance was a great help, and other structures (e.g. municipality) are now involved in building back the house. Unlike the article, it was not a from a large scale fire, so neighbor solidarity was very important and very useful. In the case I know, the most important point was that the family could take care of the young children for the first week, which is the most chaotic. It also softened their trauma. Another important point is to deal with the jobs: explain what happened, try to find temporary adjustments (co-workers and hierarchy were great in this case), and if working gets too hard, ask for a sick leave. I couldn't do any of this myself, but talking about it with the victims is essential. Apart from this, all the points 1-9 of the article are valid and important. Especially in 1, "sift through ashes for remnants of cherished belongings", which is so heartbreaking for the house owners that it shouldn't be done alone.