Available 24/7 · Austin and nearby areas
A kitchen fire, an electrical fault, or wildfire smoke can leave soot through your home. Our crew handles fire and smoke damage restoration in Austin, TX, from soot cleanup to repairs. Call any time, day or night.
Call (512) 616-0827
We work with all major insurance carriers
Fire damage help
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.
Smoke spreads beyond the room that burned. Smoke finds its way into Austin closets, cabinets, and attic space. An attic HVAC system can then push it into each room.
Cedar and brush on the edges of the metro can burn fast in dry, windy weather, and the smoke can reach homes miles away.
Homeowners, property managers, and business owners across Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell, and Burnet counties call us after fires all year round.
Call Now (512) 616-0827Board-up, soot and ash cleaning, odor treatment, water drying, and repairs.
Days for a lightly smoked bedroom or two; weeks for a burned kitchen or rebuilt walls and floors.
We base it on where the soot went, what can be salvaged, how much drying is needed, and how much rebuilding follows.
A free inspection and estimate before any work starts.
The first 24 hours
The Austin Fire Department, 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 (512) 616-0827Fire can weaken floors and ceilings in ways you can’t see. Stay out until the fire department says it’s safe.
Take photos and video of every room, closet, and the garage before anything is moved or thrown out.
Open a claim and write down the claim number and your adjuster’s name. Ask the Austin Fire Department for the incident report too.
Hotel stays, meals, and supplies may be covered by your policy’s loss-of-use coverage.
Lock the doors that still lock, and take medications, papers, and valuables with you if the fire department says it’s safe.
Water and household cleaners smear soot into paint and fabric and can set the stain for good.
It can pull soot from one room and blow it through the whole house. Leave it off until the ducts are checked.
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.
Heat, water, and soot can damage them inside. Have them checked first.
Leave that to Austin Energy, Texas Gas Service or a licensed electrician.
Common fire damage
Each kind of fire leaves a different residue, and the residue decides how we clean. Here’s what we see most in Austin-area homes and businesses.
Austin kitchen fires leave a greasy film that’s nearly invisible but smells strong.
Worn cords, overloaded outlets, and faulty wiring can start fires behind drywall.
Cedar and brush burning near the metro’s edge may carry smoke and ash a long way. It settles in vents, carpet, and furniture and needs careful cleaning.
Austin garages often hold the dryer, and lint in that vent may catch and send smoke indoors.
When the attic HVAC keeps running through a fire, it draws smoke in and blows soot to each room.
Austin slab homes take hose water into drywall and carpet, and it seeps under the flooring. Dry it during the soot cleanup, since mold grows quickly in Central Texas humidity.
How we clean
Smoke odor comes from residue on and inside materials like drywall, cabinets, insulation, carpet pad, and ductwork. Sprays only cover it up. Cedar and brush smoke has its own sharp smell that clings to fabrics.
Every surface gets tested. A small test spot tells us which method removes soot without spreading it or damaging the finish.
Dry methods first, then wet. HEPA vacuums and dry soot sponges lift loose soot before any wet cleaning. It isn’t pushed deeper into paint and grout.
Then we go after the source of the smell. Framing, subfloor, and attic ducts that absorbed smoke get deodorized, and anything too saturated is removed. A few treatments require people and pets to be out, so we schedule them with you.
Usually fromWood and paper burning hot and fast
How it behavesA loose, dusty layer that vacuums up cleanly.
Usually fromSlow fires and burning plastic
How it behavesSticky and smears; needs heavier cleaning.
Usually fromCooking fires
How it behavesThin, yellowish film with a lingering smell.
Usually fromBrush and cedar fires upwind
How it behavesFine particles that settle in vents, carpet, and fabric.
What can be saved
Three things decide it: what the item is made of, how close it sat to the fire, and how soon cleaning starts. Here’s a general guide, and the inspection gives you the specifics.
These usually come clean if soot is removed promptly. Over time, it can etch glass and pit metal.
Most surfaces clean up. A lingering shadow gets a stain-sealing primer and new paint.
If smoke only stained it, drywall can often be cleaned and sealed. Charred or soaked panels are cut out.
Wood furniture and cabinets with a good finish usually clean. Blistered finishes or smoke-soaked wood may need refinishing.
Professional laundering saves a lot of clothing and bedding. Anything scorched or melted is a loss.
Upholstery with light smoke or ash often cleans. Heavy smoke or hose water usually means it’s replaced.
Soot can corrode their internal parts. Get them checked before use.
Keep them flat and dry. Specialists can often save more than you’d expect.
Surface-charred studs may be cleaned and sealed against odor. Studs the fire weakened are swapped out.
They absorb smoke and water too deeply to clean.
Throw away food that was exposed to heat or smoke, even cans that got hot. Ask a pharmacist about any medicine that was nearby.
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 its own, so the adjuster can follow our reasoning.
Help beyond the fire
Every job starts with a free inspection and estimate. Fire damage rarely comes alone, so the same team handles what comes with it.
Firefighting water spreads under flooring and into wall cavities on Austin slabs. 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
Humid Central Texas summers help mold grow in walls that stay wet after a fire. We find the moisture source, contain the area, remove the mold, and dry the space out.
More about Mold Remediation
Central Texas hail and severe thunderstorms may crack shingles and send rain into the attic. We dry the structure, remove damaged materials, and repair the ceilings and walls inside.
More about Storm Damage
For an Austin restaurant or store, one night’s fire can mean days of lost business. 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 ReconstructionCall and talk to our crew about what happened. The call is free, and so is the inspection.
Our process
Call (512) 616-0827 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.
We board up broken windows and doors and tarp openings in the roof, so rain and intruders stay out while the work is planned.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 AC running for a smell check, and send the final records to your insurance company to close out the claim.
Brush fire ash can drift into Austin vents, carpets, and furniture even if the fire stayed miles away. Call us for a free inspection.
Insurance and claims
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 the Texas Department of Insurance, (800) 252-3439.
Where we work
We serve Austin, its suburbs, and nearby Central Texas towns.
Don’t see your area listed? Call us and we’ll tell you right away.
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Common questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For fires inside the City of Austin, request the incident report from the Austin Fire Department. Many nearby cities and counties run their own fire departments, so ask the department that responded.
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
Day or night, weekend or holiday, call (512) 616-0827. A crew can be there within 45 minutes to start your free inspection.
Call (512) 616-0827Tell us what happened and we'll call you right back.