Trusted Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration for California Homeowners
Fire and smoke damage in California homes is usually worse than it looks from the curb. Smoke works its way into drywall, ductwork, carpet, and the backs of cabinets within hours, and what you can’t see is what keeps smelling for months. Wade’s Restoration has been cleaning up after California house fires since 2007, and Wade Ferris answers his own phone when you call. We respond the same day from our home base and can have a crew at your door with air scrubbers and soot sponges inside the hour in most of our service area. Call (855) 915-0646 right now if you’re standing in a smoky house, or if the adjuster just left and you need someone who will actually pick up.
We’re locally owned and owner-operated. That means the man whose name is on the truck is the same man who writes the scope, talks to your adjuster, and comes back if anything isn’t right. No national chain, no call center, no runaround. To wade is what you do through a flooded basement at two in the morning, and it happens to be his name. Ask anyone on your street.
What Our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Service Includes
Fire damage restoration means more than wiping soot off the walls. Soot is acidic, and it starts etching glass, corroding metal fixtures, and staining paint within 48 hours. Wade’s crew addresses every layer of what the fire touched: surfaces, air, contents, structure, and smell. In California, where older homes and attached garages are common, we see a lot of electrical fires and kitchen fires that look small at first but leave residue throughout the whole house. For 24 Hour Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in California, CA, timing matters. Here is exactly what we do when you call us.
Fire Damage Cleanup
Fire damage cleanup is the first heavy lift after a fire: removing charred debris, hauling out damaged drywall and insulation, and stabilizing what’s left so it doesn’t keep degrading. Soot residue left on walls and ceilings will continue to stain and corrode until it’s properly removed. Wade’s crew uses HEPA vacuums and chemical sponges to pull soot from every surface, then seals exposed areas so further damage stops cold. If a wall is too far gone, we’ll cut it out now and rebuild it during structural repair.
Smoke & Soot Removal
Smoke and soot removal is what separates a house that recovers from one that always smells faintly of fire. Soot is oily and incredibly fine, and it gets into places you wouldn’t think to look: behind outlet covers, inside light fixtures, on top of door frames, and in every duct and return vent. Wade’s team cleans these hidden surfaces methodically, using chem sponges, degreasers, and HEPA filtration so the soot doesn’t re-deposit onto clean surfaces two weeks later. This is slow, unglamorous work that national outfits rush through and then bill for twice.
Odor Removal & Deodorization
Odor removal after a fire is not about spraying air freshener. Smoke odor is physical: it’s microscopic particles trapped in carpet fibers, paint, and insulation, and it won’t leave until those particles are removed or neutralized. We use thermal fogging, ozone treatment (in unoccupied spaces), and hydroxyl generators to break down smoke molecules at the source, not just mask them. The finished test is simple: when we leave, the house shouldn’t smell like a fire. If it does within 90 days, the 90-Day Done Right Promise means Wade comes back.
Contents Cleaning & Pack-Out
Contents cleaning and pack-out is when we inventory, photograph, box, and remove every salvageable item from the affected rooms so your belongings can be cleaned off-site while we work on the structure. Soft goods like clothes, bedding, and curtains hold smoke odor ferociously, and they need specialized laundering or dry cleaning. Wade’s crew maintains a photo-documented inventory so your adjuster can see exactly what left the house, exactly what came back, and what condition it was in at each step. If you need contents packed out, we’ll handle the entire chain of custody.
Emergency Board-Up & Tarping
Emergency board-up and tarping happens the day of the fire, before restoration even starts. If a window blew out or the fire department vented your roof, your home is open to weather, animals, and anyone walking by. Wade’s crew can be there the same day to board windows, patch the roof with heavy-duty tarps, and secure every opening, including for our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Lemon Grove customers. We won’t charge you a trip fee inside our own county. No charge for that.
Structural Fire Repair
Structural fire repair is the rebuild phase after the smoke is gone: new drywall, framing repairs, flooring, paint, and finish work that returns the damaged rooms to a livable condition. This is scoped, scheduled, and priced in writing before we start, the way you’d approach a remodel. Wade works directly with your insurance adjuster on this phase so you aren’t stuck in the middle translating between the builder and the claims office. He publishes his address and license number, and he’ll be back if it isn’t right.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service for Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration
You won’t find a shop that services “all makes and models” more carefully than we do, because in restoration the equipment matters as much as the crew. Wade’s Restoration runs XPOWER air movers and B-Air dryers on fire jobs because they’re what we trust after 29 years in the field: XPOWER units push the volume of air needed to vent smoke out of a room fast, and B-Air’s filtration attachments pull soot out of the air while we work.
We also use Injectidry systems when smoke has gotten into wall cavities and we need targeted drying or extraction in tight spaces. Whether you have those brands in your own garage or workshop and want someone who knows them, or you’ve just had a house fire and couldn’t care less what the machine is called as long as it works, we can help. Our technicians hold IICRC credentials, so the gear gets used correctly.
Signs You Need Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Right Now
Some fire damage is obvious. A lot of it isn’t. Here are the signs that mean you should call us today, not next week.
- You smell smoke weeks after the fire is out. That means smoke particles are still trapped in porous surfaces like drywall, carpet, and upholstery. The smell will not fade on its own, and every day it sits, it binds deeper into the materials. We can trace the odor to the source and treat it there.
- Soot smudges keep reappearing after you wipe them. Soot is oily, and regular household cleaners just move it around and thin it out. When the humidity rises or your AC kicks on, it seeps back through the paint. That wall needs chem sponge work and sealing, not another pass with a rag.
- You see yellowing on walls, ceilings, or plastic light covers. That’s what acidic soot does to painted and plastic surfaces over time. If you’re seeing it, the soot has been sitting long enough to etch. The longer it sits, the harder it is to reverse without repainting or replacing the fixture.
- Your furnace or AC smells like smoke when it runs. Soot and smoke residue collect in ductwork during a fire, and your HVAC system then redistributes them through the entire house every time it cycles. This is one of the fastest ways for smoke damage to spread from one room to the whole home. Duct cleaning and air scrubbing should happen before you run the system again.
- The fire department had to break windows or vent the roof. If those openings aren’t boarded and tarped immediately, rain can pour into your home, and animals can move into your attic. That’s not fear-mongering, it’s just what we’ve seen after years of California fire calls. Board-up is one of the first things we do, and there’s no trip charge inside our own county.
Our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Process - Step by Step
Here’s exactly what happens when you call Wade’s Restoration of California about fire and smoke damage. No mystery, no vague phases, no “trust the process” talk.
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We answer the phone and get moving. You call (855) 915-0646 and you get a live person, usually Wade himself. He’ll ask what burned, how long ago, and whether the power is on. Then he’s on the road. In most of our California service area, first response happens within 60 to 90 minutes.
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We assess the full spread of smoke and soot. Wade walks every room, including rooms the fire never touched. He checks above door trim, inside the HVAC return, under the carpet edge, and inside cabinets. Smoke travels far beyond the flames, and the worst of it is usually in the rooms you didn’t expect. He takes moisture readings in any area the fire department wetted down, because water + soot becomes a mold problem fast.
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We secure the property and set up the right equipment. Windows get boarded, the roof gets tarped if it was vented, and we place XPOWER air movers and B-Air filtration units to start pulling soot out of the air. This is where cleanup goes from “surface wipe” to actual restoration.
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We clean every surface, every cavity, every duct. Walls get chem-sponged and sealed. Ducts get cleaned where smoke entered them. Soft goods are packed out for off-site cleaning. We handle the full contents inventory with photos, so your adjuster sees exactly what we see.
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We document everything and hand you the file. Wade deals with your insurance adjuster directly and gives you the same documentation: before and after photos, a scope of work, and a line-item list of what was cleaned, what was packed out, and what was replaced. You’re never left guessing what happened inside your own house.
How Much Does Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost in California?
Fire and smoke restoration costs in California swing wildly based on the size of the fire, how far smoke traveled, and what got wet. A small kitchen fire with limited soot in one room often runs $1,500 to $4,500 for surface cleanup, air scrubbing, and deodorization. A whole-house smoke event, where the HVAC ran during or after the fire and pushed soot through the ductwork, can run $8,000 to $25,000 depending on contents pack-out, duct cleaning, and structural repairs.
What moves the price is rarely the square footage. It’s the amount of porous surface that soaked up smoke: carpet, drywall, insulation, upholstery, and wood trim. You have more of all five than you think. The other factor is how quickly you call. Soot that sits for a week etches deeper into paint and metal, making more surfaces unsalvageable. An early cleanup is almost always a smaller bill.
How to avoid overpaying: get a written scope before any work starts, with line items you can actually read. Wade’s Restoration of California gives you that up front. We also offer a free second opinion on any written estimate, so if a national chain quoted you $18,000, bring us their number and we’ll tell you honestly if the work matches the price. There’s no charge for that. And permanent Senior & Veteran discounts apply on every job, plus $40 off any repair over $200.
Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Near California - Our Service Area
We serve California homeowners across a wide radius including Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in San Diego, Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Coronado, and Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in National City, plus Chula Vista, Lemon Grove, Bonita, La Mesa, La Presa, Spring Valley, Imperial Beach, La Jolla, and Casa de Oro-Mount Helix. In most of these areas, Wade or one of his crew can be at your door inside the hour. If you’re further out, he’ll tell you on the phone exactly when to expect him, and there’s no trip charge inside our own county.
Serving California, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the California area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions - Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in California
Fire and smoke damage restoration is the process of returning a home to a clean, safe, odor-free condition after a fire. It includes removing soot from surfaces, cleaning the air, deodorizing porous materials, packing out and cleaning belongings, and repairing any structural damage. We handle it from the first board-up through the final coat of paint.
Small soot jobs can be done in two to four days, while whole-house smoke events can run two to six weeks, especially if contents need pack-out or structural repair. The single biggest variable is how far the smoke traveled through the house. We’ll give you a week-by-week timeline in writing before any work begins, and we stick to it.
Small jobs start around $1,500 and whole-house events can pass $25,000. The total depends on surface area affected, whether ducts need cleaning, and how much structural repair is needed. Call us for a free estimate, and bring any written quote you already have for a free second opinion. Estimates are free, and we don’t have trip charges inside our own county.
Yes, and older construction is exactly where smoke damage gets stubborn. Lath-and-plaster holds smoke odor differently than modern drywall, and older ductwork often has no history of cleaning, so residue builds up fast. Wade’s crew knows how to clean both without tearing out more than necessary.
We answer calls around the clock, and in most of our California service area we can have a crew at your door within the hour. Board-up and tarping are same-day services, and we’ll have air scrubbers running the same day in most cases. If you’re standing in a house that still smells like smoke, call now. Don’t wait for business hours - we also handle Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration - La Mesa emergencies.
Every fire and smoke restoration job is covered by our 90-Day Done Right Promise, in writing. If it isn’t done right, we make it right. Wade Ferris is the one who signs that document, and he’s the one who’ll come back if anything is off. His name is on the truck and his address is published.
Don’t wipe anything with household cleaner, and don’t run the HVAC system if you can avoid it. Both make soot harder to remove. Shut the system off, take photos of everything for your own records, and call us at (855) 915-0646. We’ll walk you through the first 24 hours and tell you what to leave alone.
Schedule Your Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Service in California Today
If your house smells like smoke, don’t wait. Call (855) 915-0646 and you’ll get a live person, not a voicemail. Wade Ferris will answer your questions directly, give you a straight answer on whether he can help, and head out the same day. Estimates are free, there’s no trip charge inside our own county, and every job is covered by the 90-Day Done Right Promise. Here is my cell: (855) 915-0646. Call now.
Written by Wade Ferris, Owner at Wade’s Restoration of California, serving California homeowners since 2007.