Fire & Smoke Cleanup Guide
When fire strikes a business, every hour of downtime costs money. Commercial fire restoration requires coordinating multiple trades, meeting building codes, and working within your business continuity plan. Our team manages the entire process from emergency response to final certificate of occupancy.
First-Hour Priorities
Step 1
If you have a business continuity plan, activate it immediately. Contact key personnel, redirect customer communications, and notify vendors about potential delivery delays. If you don't have a plan, our team can help you manage these logistics.
Step 2
Beyond physical damage, document everything related to lost revenue: canceled orders, employee time, temporary relocation costs. Business Interruption (BI) insurance can cover these losses, but thorough documentation is essential.
Step 3
If safe to access, prioritize securing financial records, customer data, and high-value inventory. Smoke-damaged electronics (servers, computers) should be powered down and sent for professional cleaning—not turned on.
Step 4
Commercial fire restoration requires specialized equipment, larger crews, and experience with building codes and compliance requirements. General contractors often lack the mitigation expertise needed for fire damage.
Field Visuals
These examples show the conditions and response patterns our teams evaluate during active fire damage restoration.
Smoke damage in a commercial office space. Ceiling tiles, HVAC systems, and electronics all require professional restoration. The goal is getting the business operational as fast as possible.
Commercial fire restoration requires larger crews working in coordinated shifts. Our team scales to match the scope of the project and your timeline requirements.
Technical Workflow
This sequence keeps decisions measurable, documented, and aligned with insurance requirements and safe reconstruction.
Large-scale board-up, roof tarping, and 24/7 security if needed. Detailed damage assessment with photo documentation, thermal imaging, and moisture mapping for your insurance carrier.
Critical business equipment (servers, machinery, inventory) is cataloged and either cleaned on-site or transported to our facility. Electronics receive specialized anti-corrosion treatment within the first 48 hours.
Industrial-scale soot removal, HVAC system cleaning, and water extraction from firefighting. Commercial buildings require larger equipment and more extensive ductwork cleaning than residential properties.
Commercial reconstruction must meet current building codes, fire codes, ADA requirements, and industry-specific regulations. We manage permits, inspections, and coordinate all trades through to certificate of occupancy.
South Florida
Florida commercial properties must meet Florida Building Code (FBC) requirements during reconstruction. Hurricane-rated windows and roofing may need upgrading to current code during the rebuild—we navigate these requirements for you.
Charlotte, NC
North Carolina Building Code requires fire-related reconstruction to meet current energy efficiency and fire safety standards. Our team is experienced with Charlotte-Mecklenburg permitting and inspection processes.
Multi-Location Businesses
For businesses with multiple locations, we coordinate restoration of the damaged site while helping redirect operations to other locations. Our project managers serve as single point of contact for all trades.
Continue Your Research
Call now for 24/7 emergency fire damage response and restoration support.