The damage bill from a burst pipe is decided in the first five minutes, not by the plumber's invoice. Here is the playbook, from the crew that answers Fort Wayne's 2am pipe calls.
1. Water Off at the MainFind the main shutoff: in most Fort Wayne homes it is where the line enters the basement or crawl space, on the street side. Turn it clockwise until it stops. Every minute of flow is roughly a bathtub of water going into your floors, so this one act is most of the battle. Find your valve today, before you need it: this paragraph is useless in ankle-deep water.
2. Power Off Where It's WetIf water is anywhere near outlets, cords, or the panel, kill the affected circuits at the breaker. Do not stand in water to do it: if the panel itself is wet or unreachable, leave it and say so when you call.
3. Open the Faucets, Save the StuffOpen the lowest faucets in the house to drain the remaining pressure and give trapped water somewhere to go. Then move what matters: rugs up, boxes off the floor, furniture feet onto foil or blocks. Photos of everything as you go, because your insurance adjuster will ask.
4. Winter NoteMost Fort Wayne bursts are freeze bursts, and the flood often starts at thaw, not at freeze. If a pipe is frozen but not yet split, open the faucet it feeds, gently warm the run if you can reach it (hair dryer, never flame), and get a plumber moving. The pipes that freeze are the ones in exterior walls, garages, and crawl spaces, so insulating them this fall is the cheapest repair you will ever buy.
Water off, power safe, faucets open, then call (260) 555-0184. We will be moving while you finish the photos, and the line is answered all night.