When you have water damage in your home, the cleanup can go far beyond the standing water that you discover. Water seeps into walls quickly, and water that was left for too long will cause problems in areas that you can't even see. Left alone, water damage can destroy the integrity of your walls, create a breeding ground for mold and mildew, and cause health problems for people living in your home.

If you've had a small fire in your kitchen, you're going to be dealing with the clean-up for quite some time. Even a small grease fire on the stove can generate enough smoke to cause serious damage. Once the fire department clears your home for re-entry, you'll be able to assess the damage and begin the clean-up. If the fire didn't do any real structural damage, you may be able to clean the smoke damage up and begin living in your home again.