Fire and smoke damage.
A fire is one of the hardest things a family or business goes through. We clean the structure and your belongings, mitigate the smoke odor, and coordinate the whole project through one point of contact.
Mitigation focused, full service.
Most fire losses are also water losses, from the firefighting. Getting your life back to normal is the priority, so we do everything possible to limit demolition and reconstruction. We dry the structure and start restorative cleaning right away to protect structural materials and contents from secondary damage.
If reconstruction is needed, we coordinate the entire project with our trusted partners through one point of contact, from start to finish.
What to do until help arrives.
Once the fire is out and the fire department says it is safe to go back in, these steps help keep soot and smoke from spreading and speed up the restoration.
Do
- Stay out of the rooms the fire affected as much as you can, and keep hands and shoes free of soot.
- Put down old linens or towels to walk on in high traffic areas.
- Turn off the furnace or air conditioning and replace the filter as soon as possible.
- Cover air registers with a double layer of cheesecloth to keep soot out of the ducts.
- Throw away food and drinks that were in the damaged areas.
Do not
- Do not try to clean anything soot or smoke touched. Soot smears and sets into fabric, drywall, and paint.
- Do not turn on fans of any kind. They spread soot to clean rooms.
- Do not turn on lights or electrical fixtures in rooms that are wet from firefighting.
- Do not use electronics that were exposed to smoke or extinguisher residue until they are cleaned.
No matter how small the fire, get everyone out and call 911 first. Call us once the fire is out.
How a fire restoration works.
Inspection required before work begins.
- 1
Inspection
We walk the property, test affected areas, and put together a plan and estimate for you and your insurance company.
- 2
Dry and protect
Water from firefighting comes out and the structure is dried. Air scrubbers with HEPA filters capture soot in the air.
- 3
Clean the structure
IICRC certified technicians clean walls, ceilings, and surfaces, and clean the HVAC system so the house is not recontaminated.
- 4
Contents
Belongings are cleaned and deodorized. When the house cannot be lived in, a supervised crew packs contents and moves them to our facility.
- 5
Odor removal
A multi-step deodorization process using hydroxyl and ozone goes after the smoke odor left in the air and in materials.
Smoke odor removal.
Smoke gets into closets, ductwork, insulation, and everything you own. Our professional cleaning often saves the added expense of demolition, reconstruction, or refinishing. For odor, we use hydroxyl generators, which clean the air without chemicals and are safe for people, pets, and plants, along with ozone when the job calls for it. Smoke odor is stubborn, and we stay on it until we have done everything the process allows.
Contents cleaning and move-outs.
When the damage means the house needs reconstruction, we provide a professional, supervised crew to pack and move your contents to our facility. There, everything is stored safely in our vaults during the rebuild, then cleaned, deodorized, and repacked in new boxes, vault by vault. When the work is done, we do a final cleaning of the structure, move your things back in, and unpack.
Your insurance claim, documented.
We restore to the IICRC standards and document the damage as we go. You and your insurance company receive regular updates on progress, and when the project is complete you get a permanent record showing the loss was restored to the proper Standard of Care.
From a garage fire.
Before and after.
Two garage fires, and the same rooms afterward.
Drag the handle, or use the arrow keys, to compare.
“What a pleasure it was to have you take care of the fire damage at my home. Your people were friendly and courteous at all times and completed the job in good time. The building looks better now than ever. I would recommend you to anyone.”
Questions.
Yes, for a first response. Once the fire is out, call (231) 347-7707 any time. After hours we set up air-cleaning and odor-removing equipment and wipe down surfaces, so the smoke does less damage overnight. The full cleanup still starts with a complete inspection during business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. If the fire caused water damage from sprinklers or hoses, tell us when you call and we will get the water out.
Not for water or sewage emergencies. Call us any hour and we get to work. Fire and smoke damage and mold always start with an inspection so we can see the full extent of the damage. Duct cleaning starts with a free inspection so we can quote the right job. Carpet, rug, upholstery, and floor cleaning start with a free estimate.
Yes. Most of our restoration work is an insurance claim. We work directly with your insurance company, record the cause of loss and every step of the restoration in the Xactimate claim software, and send you and your insurance company regular updates on progress, so your adjuster has what they need to move the claim along.
We do our best with the best tools, but we do not guarantee it. Odor comes from soot and residue in materials and in the air, and some things just will not let go of it. We clean the source first, then use hydroxyl and ozone deodorization, and we tell you what to expect after the inspection.
Please do not. Soot smears and sets into porous surfaces like fabric, drywall, and paint when it is wiped the wrong way, which can turn a cleaning job into a replacement job. It is also a health hazard to breathe.
Fire and smoke near you.
From our shop in Petoskey to 58 towns within about an hour.
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Need help?
Water or sewage damage? Once the source is stopped, call, day or night. For everything else, request an estimate and we reply within 24 hours.