House fire South Dublin case study – our client, a landlord, received a call from one of his tenants notifying him of fire damage to the rental property. Our client arrived at the property as quick as he could and was shocked as to the extent of damage caused by the fire. Although the fire brigade had responded very promptly, the damage caused to the building was extremely severe.
The fire had been caused maliciously, persons unknown had forcefully entered the property and set alight some of the flammable contents.
ICS were appointed by the landlord and attended the site of the fire within 24 hours. We met with the owner and carried out a preliminary visual site survey- we observed significant structural damage to the building and advised our client of our initial findings. The roof structure and covering was badly burned, charred and subsiding into the building.
In this particular design, the roof and intermediate joists are a necessary part of the structural integrity of the building. The fire caused significant fire damage to the structural timbers, leaving the structure unsupported, unstable and dangerous. The fire had also caused extensive thermal damage, cracking and spalling to the concrete blockwork, thus compromising the structural integrity of the walls and entire structure.
ICS liaised with the local authority and the insurer about making the site safe for the public and the adjoining buildings. ICS assisted our client with the selection of competent contractor to complete these demolitions.
ICS reported the claim to our client’s insurer and met with their loss adjuster and insurer representatives’ onsite numerous times. The insurers appointed surveyors, engineers, forensic engineers etc.
As previously mentioned, because the damage to the property was so extensive, the negotiations with loss adjusters were protracted, and it took several months to reach a settlement.
Our assessors are surveyors and understand the building elements, structure and technology of buildings. ICS worked with structural engineers and surveyors and dealt with the insurer on the demolition and rebuilding of the structure, keeping our client’s interests at the centre of every discussion.
ICS managed the claim from start to finish, keeping our client informed at each stage and dealing with the insurer, its loss adjuster and the engineers on his behalf.
House Fire South Dublin: the claim
