An incident is an event being documented, such as a leak, fire or storm-related impact. The incident record organizes observations without assuming a final cause.
What this means at your property
For a ceiling leak, the time water was first noticed may differ from when the leak began. Keeping those details separate helps later assessments. Record who observed the problem and what immediate actions were taken.
What belongs in the initial record?
Include the location, discovery time, visible effects, photographs taken safely and the contacts already involved. Update the record when a source is confirmed instead of silently replacing the original observations with later conclusions.