"Christ!" Max yelped at the stabbing cold in his hand, withdrawing his gloved hand immediately and trying to massage a little warmth back into it. On one hand, that was an encouraging sign that he was looking in the right direction. But on the other hand, going down into that basement would be a hazard to life and limb. He would have to take some precautions. 

Firstly, he looked around the wreck of the living room, his eyes falling on a thick woolen afghan draped on the overturned couch. Grabbing the blanket, he draped it over his shoulders and wrapped it around his body as an added layer of insulation. That'd help at least a little. Next, he looked through the kitchen for a hurricane lamp, a lantern, something he could use as a source of both light and warmth. Finding nothing, however, he sighed to himself. Max disliked using magic for mundane purposes- it was beneath the grandeur and the majesty of such knowledge to be wasted on mere parlor tricks. But there seemed to be little option at the moment. Holding out one gloved hand, Max sang a brief incantation in Hebrew. A small but bright and warming globe of fire flickered into the air, hovering a couple inches above his palm. Light and a source of personal warmth.

With that done, Max edged nearer the door. Cautiously, he reached up with his shovel and undid the latch. As the door creaked open, he sighed, peered into the darkness, and descended into the basement.