A: We recommend having your heating and cooling system cleaned by a licensed heating and air technician. If the unit was running during the fire it is possible that smoke or soot entered parts of the system. By cleaning the ductwork and coils in the unit we can minimize the chances of spreading soot throughout your home once the unit is turned back on.

A: It is best if you remove all medicine, valuable jewelry, checkbooks, firearms, and any personal documents. Once you have these items out of the house, we can assess the other contents to see what can be salvaged. Most items can be restored to prelost condition. In the event some items are damaged beyond repair we recommend talking to your agent or adjustor regarding the replacement of those items. Highly valuable structural items that have slight damage are cleaned. Some damaged items maybe of low value and should be discarded.

A: Depending on the size and complexity of the fire you maybe able to stay in your home during some of the cleanup. If the smoke traveled throughout the house it is best if you stay somewhere else until we get the initial cleanup complete. This will usually involve thermal fogging the area in order to neutralize smoke particles that may have gotten into areas that are hard to access, such as behind cabinets and exterior walls. Thermal fogging creates particles that are similar in size to smoke and soot particles (0.1 microns-4 microns) and is able to reach the same areas as the smoke and soot in order to neutralize the odor.

A: This largely depends on the circumstances and the severity of your claim. Cleanup and repairs can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks or longer. After our initial inspection we can give you a better idea of the timeframe for your claim.

A: Your belongings will be boxed up and either stored in a POD or at a storage facility off site. You will have limited access to them and it is best to take anything you will need during the cleanup with you.