What happens after a house fire in the Tri-Valley?
Fire damage comes in three layers. The burn itself is usually the smallest. Smoke and soot travel through rooms that never saw flame and settle into HVAC ducts, attic spaces, and fabrics. Then there is the water the fire department used, which is now inside walls and floors and will grow mold if it is not dried. Restoration has to address all three.
Our fire restoration process
Secure the property
Board-up of openings, roof tarping, and temporary fencing or shoring so the structure is safe and protected from weather and entry.
Assess and document
Room-by-room inspection of structural damage, smoke migration, and water saturation, photographed and written up for your insurance carrier.
Dry the firefighting water
Extraction and monitored drying of the water used to put the fire out, before it turns into a mold problem on top of a fire problem.
Soot and smoke residue removal
Cleaning of walls, ceilings, cabinets, and contents with methods matched to the residue type. Wet smoke and dry smoke are cleaned differently.
Odor treatment
Air scrubbing, thermal fogging, and sealing of surfaces that cannot be cleaned, so the smell is removed rather than covered.
Rebuild
Framing, drywall, electrical coordination, and finishes by the same licensed contractor. See reconstruction.
What should I do in the first 24 hours after a fire?
- Do not re-enter until the fire department says the structure is safe.
- Call your insurance company to open the claim, then call us to secure the property.
- Do not wipe soot off walls or run the HVAC system; both spread residue.
- Photograph everything before anything is moved.
- Keep receipts for lodging and meals; most policies cover additional living expenses.
Where we provide fire & smoke damage restoration
Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration is available across the Tri-Valley from our Pleasanton office, with Pleasanton, Livermore, and Dublin as the fastest response zone.