Fire Damage Restoration: What Happens After a Fire, Step by Step

After a fire, the damage is not only what burned. Smoke and soot spread through the whole house, the water from the fire hoses soaks floors and walls, and the smell gets into everything. Each one needs its own work, in the right order.

I’m Igor, the owner of FastFix Restoration. Here is what to do in the first days, how fire damage is restored, and how to work with your insurance. For homes that didn’t burn but took in smoke from a wildfire, see our post on smoke, soot and ash damage.

The first 48 hours

1. Don’t go in until the fire department says it’s safe. Fire weakens floors, roofs and stairs.
2. Keep utilities off until they are checked: gas, electricity and water.
3. Call us first, then your insurance company, and ask about Additional Living Expenses if you can’t stay in the house.
4. Take photos and video of every room before anything is moved or thrown away.
5. Secure the house. Broken windows, doors and roof openings need board-up and tarps to keep out rain and people.
6. Don’t wipe soot or turn on the HVAC. Both spread the damage.
7. Take only what you need: documents, medicine, phones, valuables. Leave the rest until it can be cleaned or documented.

What a fire leaves behind

• Burned materials: framing, drywall, roof, flooring that have to be removed.
• Smoke and soot: on walls, ceilings, inside cabinets, closets, attic and ducts, even in rooms far from the fire.
• Water: from the fire hoses. Wet drywall, insulation and floors start growing mold within 24 to 48 hours if they aren’t dried.
• Odor: in porous materials like drywall, insulation, carpet, furniture and clothes.
• Contents: furniture, clothes, electronics, documents, personal items.
• Hazards: in older buildings, asbestos and lead can be in the materials that were damaged.

How fire damage is restored

1. Inspection and testing. We go room by room, the attic and the HVAC, and decide what can be cleaned and what has to go. When the building’s age calls for it, we test for asbestos and lead before anything is disturbed.
2. Board-up and protection. Openings are secured, and the areas that weren’t damaged are sealed off.
3. Water extraction and drying. Standing water is removed and the structure is dried with dehumidifiers and air movers.
4. Contents pack-out. Belongings are packed, taken out, cleaned or documented as a loss, item by item, and stored until the house is ready.
5. Demolition of what can’t be saved. Burned and heavily smoke-damaged materials come out.
6. Soot and ash removal. HEPA vacuuming first, then surface cleaning with the right method for the residue. Charred framing that stays can be cleaned with dry ice blasting, which removes soot without water or chemicals.
7. Odor treatment. HEPA air scrubbers clean the air during the work. Hydroxyl generators break down odor in the air and on surfaces. Odor-blocking sealer goes on framing before it’s closed up.
8. HVAC. If the system pulled in smoke, the ducts are cleaned or replaced by a licensed HVAC contractor, or the smell keeps coming back.
9. Reconstruction. Drywall, insulation, flooring, cabinets, paint. We can rebuild, or hand off to your own contractor with full documentation.

How long it takes

It depends on how much burned, how far the smoke spread, how much water was used, the age of the house, and how fast the insurance approves the scope. Smoke cleaning in a house that didn’t burn can take one to a few weeks. A house that needs demolition and reconstruction can take several months. We give you a schedule after the inspection and update it as the work goes.

A real job: after the Palisades Fire

A family home in Pacific Palisades was left standing after the January 2025 fire, but smoke and ash got inside. It was an insurance claim. We emptied the rooms and removed ash and fine dust with HEPA vacuums, then cleaned every surface. The contents went outside, and each item was cleaned and photographed one by one for the adjuster. When we finished, the rooms were clean and ready for the family’s things to come back.

In December 2025, FastFix received Congressional Recognition for helping Los Angeles families and businesses recover from wildfire smoke and structural damage.

How to choose a fire restoration company

After a big fire, many companies show up at the door. Ask them:

• Are you licensed? Check the contractor license on the CSLB website.
• Are your people IICRC certified in fire and smoke restoration?
• Will you test for asbestos and lead before demolition in an older house?
• How will you document the job for my insurance: photos, readings, contents inventory?
• What will you clean, and what will you replace? A good company saves what can be saved.
• Will I get a written scope before the work starts?

Be careful with anyone who pressures you to sign on the spot, asks for full payment upfront, or promises that insurance will pay for everything.

Fire damage and insurance

Fire is usually covered by a homeowner’s policy, but every policy is different, and your carrier decides what is covered. A few things help:

• Report the claim right away and keep every receipt.
• Ask about Additional Living Expenses if the house isn’t livable.
• Make a contents list with photos. We help with this during pack-out.
• Don’t throw away damaged items before the adjuster has seen them or they are documented.

We work directly with your insurance company and document everything from the first day.

Protecting your home before the next fire

• Keep the area around the house clear of dry brush, especially on hillsides.
• Clean leaves out of gutters and off the roof.
• Cover attic and foundation vents with fine metal mesh to keep embers out.
• Check smoke detectors and keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
• Keep photos of your rooms and valuables in the cloud. It makes a claim much easier.

We answer 24/7 at (818) 717-7431. The on-site inspection is free. More about our fire and smoke restoration.

Igor, Owner, FastFix Restoration

IICRC Master Fire and Smoke Restorer · CSLB #1083206