Fire Damage Restoration Procedure

RICHMOND — During the past few years, wildfires have become an increasing concern in California. In 2020 alone, more than four million acres were burned statewide, along with more than 10,000 structures. If your home was affected by wildfire, you may need to hire a fire damage restoration contractor to handle repairs and remediation. However, before hiring a contractor, it’s good to get a basic understanding of the protocols and procedures involved in performing a proper restoration. Here are some steps a fire damage restoration contractor should perform:

• First, the contractor will clean the entire affected area, whether it’s just one room or your entire house. In addition to wiping everything down, they’ll use vacuums to remove any soot and other residue.

• After cleaning, the contractor will apply an odor-counteractive product like Sentinel to remove any residual odors on top or inside of the affected materials.

• Finally, the contractor will run special machines (typically a hydroxyl generator and an ozone generator) in the affected area to remove any remaining odor molecules. These machines will need to run for anywhere between 12 and 72 hours, depending on the extent and severity of the damage.