Firefighting water seeps under tile and into wall cavities. We extract the standing water, set up dehumidifiers and air movers, and take moisture readings every day until the floors and framing test dry.
More about Water Damage Restoration
Available 24/7 · Albuquerque and nearby areas
Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration in Albuquerque, NM
A kitchen fire, a wiring fault, or smoke pulled in by the swamp cooler can leave soot through your home. Our crew handles fire and smoke damage restoration in Albuquerque, NM, from soot cleanup to repairs. Call any time, day or night.
Call (505) 216-676045minutes
IICRC Certified Firm#70120685
We work with all major insurance carriers
Fire damage help
Fire and smoke damage in Albuquerque
Soot is acidic. Left on a surface, it keeps staining paint, yellowing grout, tarnishing metal, and over time etching glass. Surfaces that clean up well in the first few days can stain for good if the soot sits.
Evaporative coolers make smoke harder to contain. A swamp cooler left on through the fire pulls smoky air into the ducts. It then blows that air into bedrooms and closets the flames never reached. Flat roofs and attic spaces above the ceilings can hold that residue too.
Water rounds out the damage. Hose streams soak drywall, carpet, and the flooring laid over concrete slabs. Dry air helps, but a wall cavity still wet after two days can start growing mold.
Homeowners, property managers, and business owners call us after fires all year round. We work across Nob Hill, Old Town, Downtown, Uptown, Barelas, Northeast Heights, Four Hills, North Valley, South Valley, and Westside.
Call Now (505) 216-6760Fire damage restoration at a glance
What’s included
Securing openings, soot and ash removal, cooler and duct cleaning, odor work, and rebuilding.
Typical timeline
Light smoke confined to a couple of rooms: a few days. A kitchen, wall, or floor rebuild: often a few weeks.
How cost is set
We price it by the rooms soot reached, what can be cleaned or must go, any water that needs drying, and the rebuild.
First visit
Call (505) 216-6760A free inspection and estimate before any work starts.
The first 24 hours
What to do after a fire in Albuquerque
Albuquerque Fire Rescue, or the department that responded, decides when it’s safe to go back in. After that, these steps protect your family, your belongings, and your claim.
Not sure what’s safe to touch? Call and walk through it with our crew.
Call (505) 216-6760What to do
Wait for the fire department
Fire can weaken floors and ceilings in ways you can’t see. Stay out until the fire department says it’s safe.
Photograph every room
Take photos and video of every room, closet, and the garage before anything is moved or thrown out.
Call your insurer the same day
Open a claim and write down the claim number and your adjuster’s name. Ask Albuquerque Fire Rescue for the incident report too.
Keep every receipt
Hotel stays, meals, and supplies may be covered by your policy’s loss-of-use coverage.
Lock up the house
Lock the doors that still lock, and take medications, papers, and valuables with you if the fire department says it’s safe.
What not to do
Don’t wipe the soot
Water and household cleaners smear soot into paint and fabric and can set the stain for good.
Don’t run the swamp cooler
It can pull soot from one room and blow it through the whole house. Leave it off until the ducts are checked.
Don’t eat food that was near the fire
The USDA says to throw out food exposed to heat, smoke, or firefighting chemicals, including food in the fridge, since the door seal isn’t airtight.
Don’t switch on electronics or appliances
Heat, water, and soot can damage them inside. Have them checked first.
Don’t turn the gas or power back on yourself
Leave that to PNM, New Mexico Gas Company or a licensed electrician.
Common fire damage
Types of fire and smoke damage we clean up in Albuquerque
The kind of fire decides the kind of residue, and the residue decides how we clean. Coolers, dry winds, and a long wildfire season shape what we see across the metro.
Kitchen Fires
Spattered grease and scorched food leave a tacky, amber film that clings to cabinets and range hoods. The smell sticks around long after the stove cools, so the surfaces need degreasing, not a quick wipe.
Electrical Fires
Aging circuits, overloaded power strips, and damaged cords can ignite behind drywall. Melted wire insulation produces greasy black soot, and the circuit should be checked by an electrician before anyone flips the breaker.
Swamp Cooler Smoke
A swamp cooler that runs during a fire blows smoke into every room it serves.
Dryer Fires
Lint packs into long dryer vents, especially ones that run up through the roof.
Wildfire and Bosque Smoke
Bosque brush fires and mountain wildfires can leave a fine ash on Albuquerque sills and fabrics.
Water From Firefighting
Hose water soaks Albuquerque drywall and carpet, then creeps under slab flooring. Dry it out during the soot work, or mold can start inside the wall cavities.
How we clean
How we get smoke and soot out of your home
A lingering smoky smell means residue is still sitting on something: drywall, cabinet boxes, insulation, carpet pad, cooler ducts. Masking sprays wear off, and the smell comes back.
First, a test patch. We try our method on a small spot of each surface so the soot lifts instead of smearing, and the finish stays intact.
Then dry before wet. HEPA vacuums and chemical sponges take the loose soot first. Wet cleaning comes afterward, so it doesn’t push residue into textured walls and grout.
Finally, odor at the source. Framing, subfloor, and ductwork that absorbed smoke get deodorized, and anything too saturated, like insulation, is removed. Some treatments need an empty house, so we time them around your schedule.
What the residue tells us
Dry soot
Usually fromFast fires in wood and paper
How it behavesLoose, dusty, and quick to vacuum up.
Oily residue
Usually fromLow-heat fires and burning plastics
How it behavesGreasy to the touch; spreads if wiped.
Protein residue
Usually fromFood burned on the stove
How it behavesBarely visible film with a sharp, lasting odor.
Cooler-carried soot
Usually fromA swamp cooler running during the fire
How it behavesFine soot coating vents, pads, and ducts.
What can be saved
What can be cleaned and what gets replaced
Three things settle it: what the item is made of, how near it sat to the flames, and how soon cleaning begins. Here’s the usual pattern. Your inspection settles the details for your home.
Glass, tile, metal, and stone
Usually cleanedClean them within days and they usually look new. Leave the soot for weeks and the acid can dull glass and pit chrome.
Painted walls and ceilings
Usually cleanedMost wash clean. A ghost of soot that stays behind gets a stain-blocking primer before repainting.
Drywall
Depends on heat and timingSmudged panels can often be cleaned and sealed. Panels that scorched or swelled with hose water get cut out.
Wood cabinets and furniture
Depends on heat and timingA sound finish usually cleans. Wood that bubbled from heat or drank in heavy smoke may need refinishing.
Clothing, curtains, and bedding
Depends on heat and timingSpecialized laundering rescues a lot of fabric. Anything melted or burned through is gone.
Upholstered furniture and rugs
Depends on heat and timingLight smoke often comes out of the padding. Heavy smoke or a hose soaking usually means a replacement.
Electronics and appliances
Depends on heat and timingSoot corrodes contacts and boards. Get them tested before plugging them back in.
Photos and documents
Depends on heat and timingStore them flat in a dry spot and don’t pull stuck pages apart. A specialist can often recover them.
Charred framing
Depends on heat and timingStuds with surface charring may be cleaned and sealed. Anything the fire weakened is replaced.
Insulation, mattresses, and carpet pad
Usually replacedThey trap smoke and water in their fibers, and no cleaning reaches it.
Food and medicine
Usually replacedToss food that saw heat or smoke, cans included if they got hot. Ask your pharmacist about medications.
Packing out your belongings
If rooms need heavy cleaning or a rebuild, we can pack out your belongings as a separate service. Ask about it during your free inspection.
Anything we can’t save is photographed and listed on a separate sheet, so your adjuster sees exactly why.
Help beyond the fire
Other restoration services we offer in Albuquerque
Every job starts with a free inspection and estimate. Fire damage rarely comes alone, so the same team handles what comes with it.
High desert air doesn’t stop mold in a wall soaked by fire hoses. We find the moisture source, contain the area, remove the mold, and dry the space out.
More about Mold Remediation
Monsoon cloudbursts and hail can damage flat roofs and send water into the ceilings. We dry the structure, remove damaged materials, and repair the ceilings and walls inside.
More about Storm Damage
A kitchen fire in an Albuquerque restaurant or a blaze in a warehouse can shut a business in hours. We extract, dry, and clean on a plan built around reopening, and we document each step for your carrier.
More about Commercial Restoration
When you’re ready to rebuild, the same crew puts it back together, from drywall to cabinets to the final coat of paint, so there’s no second contractor to hire.
More about ReconstructionDealing with one of these?
Call (505) 216-6760Call and talk to our crew about what happened. The call is free, and so is the inspection.
Our process
What happens after you call
- 1
You call, we send a crew
Call (505) 216-6760 any time, day or night, including weekends and holidays. Tell us what happened and whether the fire department has cleared the house. We’ll send a crew right away.
- 2
We secure the property
We board up broken windows and doors and tarp openings in the roof, so rain and intruders stay out while the work is planned.
- 3
We arrive and inspect
The 24 Hour Flood Pros team traces how far the soot and smoke went, room by room, including closets, the attic, and the ducts. We use moisture meters to find hose water inside walls and under floors. We photograph all the damage for your insurance. The inspection is free.
- 4
We remove water and seal off clean rooms
We pump out standing water and set up drying equipment. Rooms the smoke didn’t reach get closed off with plastic, so soot doesn’t follow us through the house.
- 5
We remove what can’t be saved
Materials that can’t be saved, like charred drywall and soaked insulation, come out. If you need belongings packed out, we can do that as a separate service.
- 6
We clean and deodorize
Soot comes off with dry methods first, then wet cleaning matched to each surface. With the residue gone, we treat the smell in the materials and ducts that soaked it up.
- 7
We make the repairs
When you’re ready, the 24 Hour Flood Pros team fixes the damage. We replace drywall, install cabinets, and finish with fresh paint. Our goal is to make your home look the way it did before.
- 8
Final check with you
Before we sign off a room, we check surfaces in strong light and wipe-test them for leftover residue. Then we walk through with you, with the swamp cooler running for a smell check, and send the final records to your insurance company to close out the claim.
Cooler running when the fire started?
Call (505) 216-6760A cooler left on during the fire may have pushed soot into each duct and pad. Leave the cooler switched off until we’ve checked it, and ask us for a free inspection.
Insurance and claims
Help with your fire damage insurance claim
We work with all major insurance carriers, including State Farm, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, American Family, Travelers, and Nationwide. Documentation starts on the first visit, and your adjuster can call us directly with questions.
Your policy decides what’s covered, not us. Our job is keeping the paperwork clear enough that your claim doesn’t stall. We bill your insurance directly for damage your policy covers.
Many homeowners policies also include loss-of-use coverage, sometimes called additional living expenses, for a hotel or rental while the house is repaired. Ask your adjuster what yours includes before you book anything.
If a claim stalls, you can file a complaint with New Mexico’s Office of Superintendent of Insurance.
What your adjuster will ask for
- The date and time of the fire, and what started it, if known
- The fire incident report from the department that responded
- Photos and video of every room, taken before cleanup
- A list of damaged belongings: what can be cleaned and what can’t
- Receipts for emergency repairs, hotel stays, and meals
What we send them
- Date-stamped photos of each damaged area
- Moisture readings from the firefighting water
- A line-by-line estimate for cleanup and rebuild
- One point of contact for your adjuster
Where we work
Areas we serve around Albuquerque
We cover Albuquerque on both sides of the Rio Grande, from the valley neighborhoods to the East Mountains.
Albuquerque neighborhoods
- Nob Hill
- Old Town
- Downtown
- Uptown
- Barelas
- Northeast Heights
- Four Hills
- North Valley
- South Valley
- Westside
Nearby cities
- Rio Rancho
- Corrales
- Los Ranchos de Albuquerque
- Bernalillo
- Placitas
- Los Lunas
- Bosque Farms
- Belen
- Tijeras
- Edgewood
- Sandia Park
- Peralta
Don’t see your area listed? Call us and we’ll tell you right away.
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Common questions
Albuquerque fire and smoke damage FAQs
How fast can 24 Hour Flood Pros get to me?
A crew can be there within 45 minutes. We work 24/7, including nights, weekends, and holidays. If the fire department hasn’t cleared the house yet, we’ll talk you through what to do until it does.
Is it safe to stay in my house after a fire?
Not until it’s been checked, and often not in the rooms closest to the fire. Soot in the air irritates your lungs, and burned floors, ceilings, and wiring can be unsafe. After the inspection, we’ll tell you which areas are safe to use and whether it makes sense to stay somewhere else during the work.
Will the smoke smell ever go away?
In most homes, yes, once the residue is cleaned off and the materials that soaked up smoke are treated or removed. A smell that keeps coming back usually means residue was missed, often in the ducts, the insulation, or inside cabinets. That’s why our final walkthrough includes a smell check with the heat or air running.
Can I clean the soot myself?
A light film on a small area, maybe. Anything more, we don’t recommend it. Wiping soot with water or household cleaners usually smears it into paint and grout and can set the stain. Soot is also acidic and irritating, so it shouldn’t be handled without gloves and a respirator.
Does homeowners insurance cover fire and smoke damage in New Mexico?
Most standard homeowners policies cover sudden fires, including smoke damage and water damage from putting the fire out. Limits, deductibles, and exclusions vary, so check your policy or ask your agent.
How much does fire damage restoration cost in Albuquerque?
It depends on how far the soot and smoke spread, what can be cleaned or has to be replaced, how much water needs drying, and how much has to be rebuilt. One smoky room costs far less than a kitchen fire that reached the attic. The inspection and estimate are free, so you know the cost before any work starts.
How long does fire damage restoration take?
Light smoke damage in a room or two can take a few days. A fire that needs walls, cabinets, or floors rebuilt can take several weeks or longer, depending on the scope, permits, and insurance approvals. Your estimate includes a schedule.
How do I get a fire report in Albuquerque?
For fires inside the City of Albuquerque, request the incident report from Albuquerque Fire Rescue. Many nearby cities and counties run their own fire departments, so ask the department that responded.
Do you handle commercial fire damage?
Yes. We restore offices, restaurants, shops, and other commercial buildings, and we plan the work around getting you reopened. See our commercial restoration page for more.
Available 24/7
Get a free inspection
Day or night, weekend or holiday, call (505) 216-6760. A crew can be there within 45 minutes to start your free inspection.
Call (505) 216-6760Or request a free inspection online
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