Fire Restoration Company Guide: what it involves and what the data shows
Fire losses combine burn damage with smoke, soot and the water used to put the fire out. Restoration starts with securing the structure, then removing soot residues before they etch metal and glass, then deodorising and rebuilding.
For context: FEMA has recorded 106,572 NFIP flood and water claims since 2023. NFIP covers flood losses only; this peril runs through homeowners policies instead, so no per-claim payout index exists for it here.
How fire damage restoration works
- Securing and assessment. Board-up and roof tarping stop weather and intrusion damage while the loss is assessed.
- Soot and residue removal. Different residues (dry smoke, protein, synthetic) need different cleaning chemistry. The industry reference is the IICRC S700 fire and smoke damage standard.
- Water mitigation. Extinguishing water is dried with the same measured process as any water loss.
- Deodorisation and rebuild. Odour is treated at the source with cleaning, sealing and air treatment, then damaged assemblies are rebuilt.
Insurance and claims
Fire is a named peril on standard homeowners policies. The claim typically covers structure, contents and additional living expenses while the home is uninhabitable. Keep the inventory of damaged contents; it drives a large share of the settlement.
Common questions
- Is smoke damage covered if the fire was next door?
- Smoke damage from a neighbouring fire is generally covered under standard homeowners policies as part of the fire peril. Document the residues and get the loss assessed quickly.
- Can smoke-damaged contents be saved?
- Often yes. Hard goods clean well; porous contents such as textiles and mattresses are assessed item by item, and heavily contaminated items are listed for replacement in the claim.