Most fire damage here starts at home
Grass fires make the news, but in the San Antonio area they are usually small. Most fire damage work comes from house fires: a pan left on the stove, an electrical fault, a dryer, a space heater on a cold night.
Different fires leave different residue. A kitchen grease fire leaves a sticky film on cabinets and ceilings. Burning plastic and wiring leave heavy, dark soot and a sharp smell. The wrong cleaning method can set either one, so we figure out what kind of soot we are dealing with before we start.
Why does smoke reach rooms the fire never touched?
Flames may stay in one room, but smoke moves through hallways, open doors, the attic and the duct system. It leaves a film of soot on walls, ceilings and cabinets, and the smell settles into carpet, drapes, upholstery, clothing and the drywall itself.
That is why fire cleanup is more than the burned room. We look at the whole home, find where the smoke reached and clean all of it, so the odor does not come back on the first humid day.
The water from putting it out
Firefighters may use a lot of water. It soaks into carpet, drywall, insulation and the subfloor, and it does not leave when the trucks do. So fire cleanup is usually water cleanup too.
We remove standing water, take out what cannot be dried and set up dehumidifiers and air movers with moisture readings each visit. It is the same careful process as our water damage restoration, done alongside the soot work.
How do you get the smoke smell out for good?
Air fresheners and candles cover smoke odor for a day, then it returns. Real odor removal means cleaning the surfaces that hold the smell, removing materials that cannot be cleaned, like burned drywall or soaked insulation, and then treating the space so the odor does not come back.
Soft goods matter too. We clean drapes right where they hang, upholstery and area rugs, and carpet often finishes with a deep carpet cleaning once the rest of the home is done.
What does fire cleanup cost?
Every fire job starts with a free inspection and an itemized estimate; we never price it from a list. The cost depends on how far the smoke traveled, the type of soot, the materials and belongings involved, and how much water has to be dried out.
We take photos and notes throughout the job, and we provide moisture readings, photos and a detailed estimate for your claim. See how insurance works with us.