smoke damage

The first 48 hours of fire cleanup set the trajectory for your entire recovery — both structurally and for your insurance claim. Acidic soot keeps etching surfaces while firefighting water sits in walls. This LA guide covers the correct order of operations for fire cleanup: board-up and securing the property, documentation before touching anything, soot and smoke removal by surface type, water extraction, and how to work your insurance claim from day one. 24/7 response: (818) 336-1800.