So, your house is OK. How do you move back in?

Firefighters have beaten back a number of Southern California’s wildfires, many evacuation orders have been lifted, and some residents are returning home, or hoping to do so soon.

When they pull up to the curb, they may face anything from a pile of rubble to an unscathed home and anything in between.

If you’re one of those returning home, there are a number of steps you should take. First and foremost, make sure your home is safe before you enter, officials say.

After that, you can begin checking for damage, securing your property and settling back into your regular life, if you’re one of the lucky ones.

The following tips were gathered from government agencies and insurers.

Safety first

* Do not enter until fire or police officials say the neighborhood is safe.

* Be careful of structural damage caused by the fire. A damaged roof could collapse. Likewise, weakened branches and uprooted trees could topple onto you. Look out for fallen electrical lines.

* Before you enter, be sure all utilities are turned off: gas, electricity, water. If your utilities aren’t working, the fire department may have disconnected them or they may have stopped working on their own. Check with your electric, water and gas companies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency advises against trying to turn them on yourself.

* Look around and make sure no embers are till burning.

* Make sure any propane tanks are secure and not leaking and check that the lines were not damaged by the fire.

Food and water

If your home lost power for an extended period, everything in your refrigerator may be spoiled.

* Food can be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

* Any perishables (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy) that have been above 40 degrees for two hours or more, and any food with an unusual color or odor or that is warm to the touch, should be thrown away.

* Don’t eat the ash. Although ash from wildfires is relatively nontoxic, it may irritate the skin, nose and throat. Throw away water bottles and other bottles of liquid that were covered in ash and any food that was not stored in airtight, waterproof containers. Food stored in unopened glass jars or metal cans should be safe; clean off the ash before you open it.

* Check with the water company to make sure the water is safe to drink. Until you know for sure, boil your water.

Securing your home

* If your home is partly damaged or you still don’t have working utilities and don’t want to stay there, batten it down and take things you couldn’t bear to lose to looters.

* If there are damaged walls or holes, temporarily cover them to discourage break-ins or further damage.

* If you didn’t do so before you evacuated, now is the time to take your valuables: jewelry, antiques, paintings, irreplaceable mementos, checkbooks, bank statements, credit cards and cash.

* You may be gone a while, so take prescription drugs, eyeglasses and hearing aids.

* Take these documents: identification, such as driver’s licenses and Social Security cards; insurance information; medical and dental insurance cards; mortgage company contact information; and any lists or videos of the contents of the house before it was damaged.

What’s next if your property was damaged

* Contact your insurance company to make a claim, and ask what’s required of you.

* Notify your mortgage company about the fire and provide new contact information.

* Begin collecting receipts of expenses related to the loss, which you may need later for taxes or your insurance claim.

* Find safe housing if your home is uninhabitable. Your insurance adjuster may be able to help. If you’re uninsured, relief agencies can help.

More information: https://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/ pdf/publications/fa-46-508.pdf

evelyn.larrubia@latimes.com