Fire stops at 451. Damage doesn't.
When the fire's out, the clock starts. Soot is acidic. Smoke etches. Corrosion eats wiring. Every hour without remediation locks more damage in. Our IICRC S700 fire team rolls from our Woodland Hills HQ — most jobs on-site within 30 minutes.
After the flames go out, the damage just changes form.
Most homeowners think the fire is the worst of it. It's not. The 72 hours after the fire is when 60% of restorable property gets ruined — by acid, soot, and corrosion. Here's what actually happens.
Structural compromise. PVC pipes melt. Aluminum siding warps. Drywall calcifies. Anything within radiant range cracks, deforms, or chars.
Acidic soot residue settles on every horizontal surface. Etches glass, plastics, metals, finishes. pH 3-5 — about as acidic as vinegar, but everywhere.
Chlorides + acids in soot react with humidity + metal. Wiring oxidizes. Appliance circuits fail silently. Electronics that survived the fire die in days.
Stains lock into porous surfaces. Smoke odor bonds molecularly into drywall, carpet pad, framing. No surface cleaning will remove it now — only ozone, hydroxyl, or replacement.
What starts fires in Woodland Hills.
From canyon-edge wildfire spread to attic-level electrical overloads, every WH neighborhood has a different fire profile. Here's what we see most often in 91364 and 91367.
Why source matters for restoration scope.
Kitchen grease fires need degreasing + thermal fogging — different protocol than dry electrical fires that need ionic soot removal. Wildfire ember intrusion needs whole-envelope decontamination. Chimney fires need attic + flue inspection.
Knowing what burned tells us what cleanup chemicals, what equipment, and what scope to write — before we set foot on site. That's why our intake call asks specific questions.
- What burned? (kitchen / electrical / outdoor)
- How long did it burn?
- Was the fire department on scene?
- Is the property structurally safe to enter?
- Insurance carrier + claim number?
7 phases. One project manager. Documented to insurance standard.
Fire damage restoration is governed by IICRC S700 — the standard your insurance carrier expects in the documentation. Every step is photographed, logged, and signed off before the next begins.
Emergency board-up + tarp-over
Within 60-90 minutes of dispatch: fire-department-cut openings boarded, roof tarped, openings secured. Property is now insurable for additional loss until permanent repairs.
Damage inspection + scope writeup
IICRC-certified fire technician walks the property. Photographs every affected surface. Identifies char vs soot vs heat vs water damage zones. Writes scope-of-work to S700 §11 standard for insurance carrier.
Structural + atmospheric stabilization
HVAC system isolated. Negative-pressure containment built around damaged areas. Air scrubbers + HEPA filtration deployed. Soot fixed in place to prevent secondary distribution.
Demolition + content pack-out
Unsalvageable materials demolished and bagged. Salvageable contents packed out for off-site cleaning + storage. Detailed inventory logged for insurance.
Soot, residue + odor remediation
Surface-specific cleaning: dry sponging, ionic soot removal, thermal fogging. Then odor: ozone treatment, hydroxyl generators, sealants where required. Re-test until pass.
Indoor air quality clearance
Independent IAQ testing if scope warrants. ATP swabs, particulate sampling, surface pH verification. Documentation packaged for insurance + homeowner sign-off.
Reconstruction + final walkthrough
Drywall, paint, flooring, cabinetry, electrical, HVAC, roof — rebuilt by same project manager. No subcontractor handoff. Final walkthrough, punch list, warranty handoff.
Fire damage is technical. Insurance documentation is unforgiving. We do both right.
S700 is the standard. It dictates how soot is categorized, how odor is verified gone, when materials get cleaned vs replaced. We follow protocol because that's what your insurance carrier expects to see in the documentation — and because shortcuts lock damage in.
Our license, certifications, and insurance: all current, all on file, all available before any work starts.
Fire damage rarely arrives alone.
Fire fighters use water. Water creates mold. Smoke contaminates HVAC. Structures need rebuilding. We handle the full chain — same crew, same project manager.
Smoke damage restoration
Acidic residue, odor neutralization, HVAC decontamination, contents cleaning. Always paired with fire jobs.
Smoke pageWater damage restoration
Fire department water always becomes part of the scope. Extraction + structural drying within 12 hours of fire-out.
Water pageMold remediation
Wet drywall + insulation post-fire = mold within 48 hours. We remediate before reconstruction begins.
Mold pageReconstruction & build-back
Drywall, flooring, paint, cabinetry, electrical, HVAC. Same PM from mitigation through rebuild. CSLB licensed.
ReconstructionSewage cleanup
Sometimes fire damage triggers sewage backup (line collapse, fire department flushing). We handle both.
Sewage pageFlood damage cleanup
If your fire scenario included broken sprinklers or major water intrusion, this becomes a flood scope.
Flood pageWhat WH homeowners ask after a fire.
How fast can you get to a Woodland Hills fire site?
What does fire damage restoration cost in Woodland Hills?
Will my homeowners insurance pay for fire damage?
Why is soot damage worse than the fire damage itself?
Can my Woodland Hills home be restored or does it need to be rebuilt?
Do you handle wildfire ember-damage cases?
How long does fire damage restoration take?
What about smoke smell that won't go away?
The fire's out. The damage clock is running.
Every hour matters. Soot etches. Corrosion eats. Smoke locks in. Call our Woodland Hills HQ before the 24-hour acidic damage window closes.
📞 (818) 486-6546 · DISPATCH