Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Fort Myers, FL

It depends on what burned, how far smoke and soot spread, and how much firefighting water was left behind. Smoke usually reaches well beyond the visible fire, so the scope is bigger than it looks - a small contained job is very different from one that needs structural drying or a rebuild. Request a free, no-obligation estimate before any work starts and you will get the scope in writing.

As soon as the fire department confirms the structure is safe to enter. Soot is acidic and can begin etching glass and metal within hours and staining surfaces within days, and SW Florida humidity speeds those reactions. We dispatch 24/7 across Fort Myers and nearby Lee and Collier County so cleanup can begin quickly.

Fire and smoke are covered perils under most standard Florida homeowners policies, including structural damage, soot and smoke contamination, firefighting water, and often temporary living costs while the home is unsafe. Your deductible and coverage limits still apply. We document the loss with photos, soot mapping, and an itemized scope so you have a claim-ready record, though we do not file the claim for you.

Under Florida law you generally have one year from the date of loss to file a fire insurance claim, with supplemental claims allowed within eighteen months - but you are also expected to report the loss promptly and take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. The sooner you document the fire, smoke, soot, and firefighting water, the stronger your claim record is. We help organize that documentation right away.

Yes. Securing the property with board-up and tarping is usually one of the first steps after a fire, both to protect against weather and intrusion and because most policies require you to prevent further damage. We coordinate board-up alongside soot stabilization and firefighting-water drying so nothing gets worse while the claim is set up.

Often, yes - running the air handler during or after a fire pulls smoke and soot into the ductwork and pushes it back out into rooms the flames never reached, which is why you should leave the HVAC off. We HEPA-clean affected ducts and components as part of soot and odor removal so the system is not recontaminating clean areas after the work is done.

Usually yes - if smoke from a neighbor's fire damages your Fort Myers home, you typically file with your own homeowners insurer, who may later recover from the neighbor's carrier. The same soot, odor, and air-quality work applies whether the fire started in your home or next door. We document where the smoke traveled so the scope is clear.

Many can. Non-porous items, finished metal, glass, sealed wood, and a lot of electronics can be professionally cleaned, especially when soot is removed quickly. Heavily soot-soaked porous items like carpet, upholstery, and insulation are sometimes better replaced. When on-site cleaning is not practical, contents can be packed out and cleaned off-site, then documented for your claim.

No. Running the HVAC or fans pushes soot and smoke odor deeper into clean rooms and through the ductwork, recontaminating surfaces. Leave the system off until the soot has been removed and the ducts have been cleaned.