When your home suffers damage - whether it be from fire or water - it can be absolutely devastating, emotionally and physically.

After the fire has been put out and the firefighters leave the scene, you may be tempted to rush back into your house. While we completely understand wanting to salvage any possessions that are left and, of course, evaluate the extent of the damage - it’s critical that you wait for the professionals first.

Why Wait for a Professional?

Regardless of the size of the fire, the smoke left behind can circulate throughout your belongings and the entire house, including your HVAC ducts and vents. When left without cleaning, it could even stay there for the months to come! The smoke odor can be difficult to remove, and breathing in this air can lead to many unfortunate health risks and complications.

When attempting to restore your home yourself, you could do more harm than good because you may not know exactly what to look for. For example, when it comes to going through your belongings, you may keep items that are full of smoke and soot residue. And, contrary to popular belief, removing these kinds of residue isn’t just as easy as throwing the items in the wash. In fact, washing could even permeate the smoke or soot further throughout your belongings. On the other hand, however, you may end up throwing away certain items that could be salvageable if you don’t know what to look for.

The key to fire damage restoration is to be extremely thorough while remaining conscious of the time passing - the longer ash and smoke residue is left to sit, the worse the damage will be. Not only do these professionals have extensive experience, but they also have the necessary equipment and are properly trained to use it in order to effectively and safely remove any damaging residues from your home.