Charleston, WV's #1 Fire Damage Restoration Experts

Not until the fire department says it is. Fire can weaken floors, stairs and ceilings, and smoke residue and damaged wiring create hazards you can't always see. Once the property is released, go in only briefly to grab essentials like medication, documents and phones, and wear a mask and gloves if you're handling sooty items. Don't turn on the HVAC or any appliances until they've been checked. We can walk the property with you and point out areas to avoid.

Because soot is acidic and keeps working on surfaces after the fire is out. Within days it can yellow plastics, tarnish metal fixtures, discolor grout and paint, and settle deeper into porous materials, which makes it harder to clean and raises the chance something has to be replaced. Water from firefighting also needs to come out before mold has a chance to start. Call us at (304) 395-3925 as soon as the property is released and we'll get a crew moving.

In most cases, yes. Smoke smell comes from residue on surfaces and particles trapped in porous materials, so masking it with sprays never lasts. We clean the residue from walls, ceilings, cabinets and contents, remove materials that are too saturated to save, run HEPA air scrubbers and deodorize the affected areas. Heavier fires take more work, and some badly damaged items can't be fully deodorized, but we'll tell you honestly what to expect after we inspect.

Start with photos and video of every affected room before anything is moved or thrown away, as long as it's safe to take them. Keep receipts for hotel stays, meals and emergency purchases, and make a list of damaged belongings as you remember them. We add our own photos, moisture readings and a written scope of the cleanup, and we help with the paperwork and talk with your adjuster. Your insurance company decides what is covered, but good documentation gives your claim what it needs.

Yes. Board up is often the first thing we do. Broken windows, forced doors and holes cut in the roof to vent smoke leave the building open to rain, animals and trespassers. We cover openings with plywood and tarps to secure the property and keep weather out while the cleanup gets underway. Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and we photograph the openings before and after so that work is documented too.

It has to be removed and dried like any other water damage. Hoses and sprinklers can soak carpet, subfloors, insulation and the ceiling of the floor below. In hillside homes like many in South Hills, that water tends to run down into a lower level or crawl space. We extract standing water, take out wet materials that can't be dried, and run air movers and dehumidifiers until our moisture readings say the structure is dry. Skipping this step is how mold ends up growing behind the smoke damage.

Many belongings can be cleaned. Hard items like dishes, furniture, decor and tools often clean up well, and many fabrics can be saved if the smoke damage isn't too heavy. Items that are charred, melted or soaked with dirty water usually can't. We sort contents into what can be cleaned and what can't, clean the salvageable items, and photograph and list the rest so you have a record for your claim. Try not to wipe soot off soft goods yourself, since that can set the stain.

It's better not to. Soot is oily and very fine, and wiping it with a wet rag or a household cleaner usually smears it deeper into paint, plaster and drywall. Different kinds of smoke residue need different cleaning methods, and the wrong one can leave a stain that won't come out. If you have to touch anything, wear gloves and a mask. Leave the walls and ceilings to us and we'll clean them with the right products and tools.

It depends on the size of the fire, how far the smoke spread, how much water was used and how many belongings need cleaning. A small kitchen fire is a very different job from a fire that sent smoke through every room. We inspect first, put the scope in writing and walk you through it before work begins. Fire is a covered peril on many homeowners policies, but your insurer makes the final call, and our photos, readings and written scope give your adjuster what they need to review it.

It depends on how much of the house was affected. Many homeowners policies help with temporary living costs after a covered loss, so ask your adjuster. A small fire with light smoke in one area might only need several days of cleaning and deodorizing. A larger fire with heavy soot, water from firefighting and damaged materials can take a few weeks of cleanup before repairs even start, and the repair timeline depends on your contractor. We give you a realistic estimate after the first walkthrough and keep you updated as each room is finished.

Yes, before you run the system again. Smoke and soot get pulled into the return vents and spread through the ductwork, and turning the system on can blow residue right back into rooms we just cleaned. During a Charleston winter it's tempting to get the heat back on fast, but it's worth waiting. Air duct cleaning is one of our services, so we can clean the ducts as part of the same fire damage project. Change the filter before the system runs again.

Yes. Smoke doesn't stop at property lines. In duplexes, townhomes and apartment buildings, smoke can work its way in through shared walls, attics, vents and gaps around doors and windows. Even without flames in your unit, the residue and odor can settle on walls, carpet, furniture and clothing. We inspect for soot and odor, clean the affected areas and contents, and document the damage so you can file a claim with your own insurance company if you choose to.

Yes. We work on offices, retail stores, restaurants, apartment buildings and warehouses as well as homes. A commercial fire can shut a business down fast, so we focus on securing the building, removing water and soot, and cleaning areas in an order that helps you reopen as soon as it's safe. We work around your schedule where we can and document everything for your commercial insurance claim. Call us at (304) 395-3925 and we'll walk the building with you.

Start with food, medicine and personal care items. Food that was exposed to heat, smoke, soot or firefighting water should go, including canned goods that got hot and anything from a refrigerator that sat without power. Replace medications and cosmetics that were near the fire or covered in soot. Hold off on throwing away furniture, clothing, electronics and keepsakes until we've looked at them, since many can be cleaned. Photograph everything before it leaves the house so your insurance claim has a record.

We follow a recognized standard instead of guessing. The IICRC publishes industry guidelines for fire and smoke damage restoration, including how to inspect, which cleaning methods suit which surfaces and how to handle the water left from firefighting. That means we test surfaces before we clean, work in an order that doesn't spread soot around, and document the job as we go. It also means fewer surprises, because you know what we're doing and why we're doing it.

Yes, and it's one of the places people forget to check. Heat and smoke rise into wall cavities, ceiling spaces and the attic, especially when a fire starts near an outlet, a light fixture or the roof line. Insulation can hold onto smoke odor and soot for a long time, and water from firefighting can soak it too. We check the attic when the evidence points there and remove damaged insulation so odor and moisture don't stay trapped above your ceilings.

Yes. We're based in Kanawha City and serve communities within about 15 miles of our office, including South Charleston, St. Albans, Cross Lanes, Sissonville, Elkview, Belle and Marmet. We also serve Morgantown. If you're not sure whether your address is in our area, call and we'll tell you right away. Fire damage needs fast attention, so don't wait to ask.

Usually repairs. Our work covers the cleanup side of a fire: securing the property, removing water, cleaning smoke and soot, removing odor and cleaning contents. When we finish, the affected areas are clean, dry and ready for the contractor who will handle repairs like new drywall, paint, flooring or roofing. We share our photos, moisture readings and written scope, so that work starts from an accurate picture of the damage and your adjuster has the same record.