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This week

Wildfire Damage in California

Restoring a property affected by wildfire without being burned by it. Ash, ember intrusion and radiant heat damage are the three, and the last one is the most often missed.

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Call about Wildfire Damage

(805) 250-5710

No charge to you, and you are never committed to going ahead.

What happens when you call

  1. You describe the problem and where you are.
  2. We put you in touch with a licensed local company covering that area.
  3. They arrange the visit and agree the price with you directly.

Worth having ready

  • When the fire was, and whether the building has been released
  • Which rooms burned, and how far the smoke reached
  • Whether you have opened a claim yet
  • Your ZIP code
  • Licensed & insured Every company we put you through to holds current licensing and insurance.
  • Know what to ask You are told what actually decides the price, so you can judge a quote.
  • Someone local You are put through to a technician who works your area, not a call center three states away.
  • Calls answered 7 days Someone picks up seven days a week, weekends included.

Is it urgent?

This week

Ash is alkaline and corrodes what it sits on, and wind keeps moving it for weeks. Properties on the edge of a burn area often have more damage than the owners realize.

One thing overrides everything on this page. Do not go back inside until the fire service has released the building — structure and air can both still be unsafe long after the flames are out, and a floor that looks intact may not be.

Signs to look for

  • Ash deposits inside the property or in the attic and crawlspace
  • Scorching or melting on siding, gutters, window frames or plants near the wall
  • Cracked or crazed glazing from radiant heat
  • Smoke smell throughout a building that was never alight
  • Vents, screens or eaves showing ember damage

How the work is done

  1. Check the attic and crawlspace for ember intrusion before assuming the inside is clean
  2. HEPA-vacuum and wet-wipe rather than blowing or sweeping, which re-suspends the ash
  3. Assess exterior heat damage to glazing, siding and seals, which is routinely overlooked
  4. Clean the HVAC system, which will otherwise redistribute ash for months

In California specifically

California's Mediterranean on the coast, hot and dry inland climate and its housing stock — stucco ranch and bungalow, tile or composition roofs, slab in the south and raised crawlspace through the Bay Area and the north — decide what is worth doing first. California is also the one state where duct leakage is routinely tested: Title 24 requires a HERS-verified duct test on most furnace or air-conditioner changeouts, so a duct problem here often surfaces as a failed test rather than as a complaint.

Before the technician arrives

Four things worth doing — and the first one is usually the thing people get wrong.

  1. Do not return until the area is officially reopened, regardless of what the property looks like from outside.
  2. Wear a fitted N95 before entering. Wildfire ash is not ordinary dust and a cloth mask does nothing.
  3. Do not use a leaf blower or a domestic vacuum on ash — both put it straight back into the air.
  4. Check the attic and the crawlspace. Embers get in through vents and smolder long after the front has passed.

What the work looks like

Photographs of wildfire damage being carried out, so you know what to expect on the day.

How it works

Three steps, and you decide at the end of them.

  1. 1

    You call and describe the problem

    Tell us what you have noticed and where — the room, the smell, the noise, how long it has been going on. Give us your ZIP code and we will match you to a licensed company covering your area. There is no form to fill in.

  2. 2

    A local company takes it from there

    They discuss the problem with you directly, arrange a time to inspect, and agree the work and the price with you before anything starts. That conversation is between you and them.

  3. 3

    You decide whether to go ahead

    You are under no obligation. If the quote or the approach is not what you wanted, you are free to say no and call someone else.

Wildfire Damage — FAQs

Do I actually need Wildfire Damage done?

Ash is alkaline and corrodes what it sits on, and wind keeps moving it for weeks. Properties on the edge of a burn area often have more damage than the owners realize.

What does Wildfire Damage involve?

Restoring a property affected by wildfire without being burned by it. Ash, ember intrusion and radiant heat damage are the three, and the last one is the most often missed.

What makes this different in California?

California's Mediterranean on the coast, hot and dry inland climate and its housing stock — stucco ranch and bungalow, tile or composition roofs, slab in the south and raised crawlspace through the Bay Area and the north — decide what is worth doing first. California is also the one state where duct leakage is routinely tested: Title 24 requires a HERS-verified duct test on most furnace or air-conditioner changeouts, so a duct problem here often surfaces as a failed test rather than as a complaint.

Are the companies licensed and insured?

Yes. We only pass calls to licensed, insured operators working in California, and you are welcome to ask to see a license number on arrival.

What does Wildfire Damage cost?

It depends on the property, the size of the system and what the inspection finds, so we do not publish a price — a figure quoted on a web page is not one the attending company has agreed to. You get a price before any work starts.

Wildfire Damage near you

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