FIRE DAMAGE

Fire Damage Restoration Services

A fire-damaged home CAN be restored! Call 360-546-3259.

A fire is a traumatic experience for all involved. Even though this is a stressful time, it is vital that you take your time and not make hasty decisions. When your building is damaged by fire, turn to the experts at Country Restoration in Ridgefield, WA, to help get you back on your feet and restore your property to what it was. 

Since 1999, we have restored many homes devastated by fire and smoke damage. Our team will work meticulously to bring your property back to life. Our 24/7 emergency services are available, and we work with your insurance company.

Hiring the Right Restoration Contractor for Fire Damage

You may be contacted by multiple companies in the hours and days following the fire, but you should know that you do not have to hire anyone right away. The damage has already been done, and you will be best served by taking the time to collect yourself and get over the immediate shock. You will be working with your restoration contractor for months, so take your time and make well-informed decisions.

When choosing a contractor, you will find the advice of your insurance agent to be helpful. Most people do not have experience in hiring someone to repair fire damage, and this is a company you will be working with for a long time. You should always go with the company that you trust the most and feel comfortable with.

It is a good idea for you to have a knowledgeable contractor with you when your insurance adjuster comes to inspect so that a complete scope of damages and repairs can be determined, which is the first and most important step in getting a proper estimate written for the repairs.

Fire Damage Process

  • First Steps:

    Secure the Structure

    Boarding up the structure, tarping off the roof, and installing security fences around the property is vital to preventing further loss or damage to your home and property.


    Any penetration points in your structure caused by either the fire or firefighting process leave you vulnerable to further damage caused by weather or theft. Criminals and vandals are known to monitor fire reports looking for an easy opportunity. All valuables should be removed quickly to protect your belongings.


    Emergency Cleaning

    Precious metals and porcelain items need to be professionally cleaned immediately.


    Soot is caustic and can cause irreversible damage to precious metals and porcelain enameled surfaces. Do not touch porcelain or precious metals with your bare hands, as the oil on your hand may cause the soot to set in permanently and ruin the items.


    Call Your Insurance Agent

    You will want to get the claims process going as soon as possible.

  • What to Expect:

    • Through this process, you may be contacted by public adjusters. You should be aware that they do not necessarily have your best interests in mind, and hiring one may enter you into a dispute with your insurance company. Once a public adjuster has written an estimate, there is no guarantee that a contractor will perform the work for that amount. Based on our experience, it is in your best interest to hire a contractor early in the process and maintain a good relationship with the adjuster, which helps you to have your home restored more quickly.
    • It is essential that you take as many pictures as possible throughout the entire process. We will also take pictures, but the rule of thumb is the more the better. The video on the bottom of this page (Walk & Talk) presents the importance and process of documenting your possessions. Even if you have not done so before a fire, you can do so in the aftermath to document for insurance purposes.
    • You will need to hire a restoration contractor 
    • -You have the right to choose your own contractor to perform the repairs. When you hire us, we work for you, and we do everything possible to look out for your best interests.
    • -We work with your insurance adjuster to determine the scope and estimate for work to be completed.
    • We will investigate the structure thoroughly, tracking down all areas of smoke intrusion (many are hidden and hard to find) to ensure that there will be no remaining smoke smell once work has been completed.
    • We will arrange for temporary power to your home for the duration of repairs.
    • We schedule a city or county inspector for an initial inspection of your home to determine what permits may be needed.
    • Your Project Manager and Estimator will complete the estimate for repairs.
    • The typical timeframe for restoration of a large fire is approximately 120-180 days (once the scope and estimate have been completed, your Project Manager will give you a more accurate timeframe based on the work required).
    • You may choose to have work performed that is above and beyond the insurance coverage. In that case, we will first work with you and your insurance company to determine the scope and value of the insurance coverage. Then we can discuss any changes that you would like and provide you with an estimate separate from the insurance work.
    • Throughout the process, there will be selections for you to make regarding colors, materials, etc. Your Project Manager will provide you with a calendar when the work begins, which will let you know when the selections should be completed.
    • We will have constant communication with you throughout the process so that you are well informed of the progress.
    • Your Project Manager will be your main point of contact through the complete restoration process.
    • It is our goal to get you back into your home as soon as possible and make the process of getting your life back in order as smooth and easy as possible.
    • We guarantee that there will be no residual smoke smell once the work is complete.
  • Personal Property (Contents):

    When you experience a fire, your personal property sustains fire, smoke and/or water damage. Special handling is required in order to ensure that your possessions are cared for and restored back to their pre-loss condition, if at all possible. To help you better understand that process, this is an outline of how we care for your personal property.


    One thing that sets us apart is that we will inventory your “non-salvage” items for you (these are items that will not be restored due to their physical condition, odor or cost to restore vs. cost to replace). This is typically the most time-consuming part of the process for you, and it is our goal to help you through it.


    Contents Process

    • Our owner or one of our project managers will walk with you through all of the affected areas of your home and give you a general idea of what is likely able to be restored.
    • Then we can begin to pack out all of the items in your home, taking a complete inventory of every item.
    • We will begin to inventory non-salvage items onsite.
    • Once all of the content items have been moved to Country Restoration’s main facility, we will begin an initial cleaning of the items.
    • At this point, the salvage and non-salvage lists will begin to be more complete.
    • Once the initial cleaning has been completed, we will schedule a time for you to go through the items with us, as we want to ensure that any items of personal or sentimental value can be given special attention and salvaged, if at all possible.
    • Next we can begin a second round of cleaning for the remaining salvage items.
    • We will finalize the salvage inventory.
    • We will also finalize the non-salvage inventory. It is possible in our inventory that we may label something differently than you do, so we have you look over the non-salvage items prior to disposing of anything.
    • All of the salvage items will be stored until the restoration is complete on your home.
    • Your insurance company will ask you to provide three pieces of information for each non-salvage item; 1) What it is, 2) When you purchased it, and 3) How much it will cost to replace it. We give you a complete inventory that lists everything out; you simply list out the other two items.
Share by: