Smoke causes panic at the home – New Ringgold, PA

Fire Damage Solution

By: Jake L

November 2015

On a cold November afternoon, a fire started in the guest bedroom of this home. The candle spread from just the wick to the top of the table. This of course caused momentary panic for the home owners, however they were able to act quickly and extinguish the fire. They were able to prevent further damage by using the bathtub to deal with the smolders. All of this could not prevent the fire from causing significant damage, as sparks fluttered and smoldered into the carpeting—severely burning it—as well as creating tons of smoke all throughout the second floor. The homeowners realized the restoration work for this was beyond their hands and their insurance contacted us for help.

Cityline was hired to perform restoration work on the home as well as perform a thorough clean on the second floor and first floor. We evaluated the structural damage to the property as well as the extent of cleaning that would be needed to remove the smoke damage in the home.

In the room where the fire originated, the damage was more troublesome as there was severe damage to the walls and the ceiling. Due to the extent of the damage, we needed to remove and replace the heavily damaged walls and ceilings. It was determined that because of the damage to the carpeting throughout the second floor it would have to be replaced. The home owners reacted quickly enough to keep the bulk of the damage limited to the second floor, however to be safe we would clean in most of the downstairs rooms as well. It was determined that the bathtub on the second floor was in need of replacement as well.

With our objectives defined we raced to work that same day, starting with taking care of the possessions that were throughout the 2^nd floor. We first cleaned off the items with meticulous detail that only Cityline can provide, included the dog. We then packed and loaded the items into our onsite, weatherproof, storage container, not including the dog. With all personal property out of the way we made child’s play of removing the carpet; we stripped it out quickly and professionally like a pit crew removing a tire. With the upstairs cleared out we could begin with our cleaning work.

Our cleaning crews scrubbed off the walls and ceilings, removing the soot. They did this with extra care and attention, making sure not to damage the integrity of the walls. Our next step was to bring in our air purification system. With the use of a HEPA vacuum we were able to remove the soot from the air and purify it. The added bonus to doing this was the house has a nice smell to it afterwards.

With the home stripped and cleaned of the fire damage, we began with reconstruction and restoration. We built back the room where the fire originated with new drywall and ceiling tiles. In the bathroom, the bathtub/shower combo was replaced with a new stylish bath/shower combo. In all the upstairs rooms, as well as the stairway, we painted on several fresh layers of paint of the owner’s choice. With all of this done we put in the new carpeting and made our final touches.

With reconstruction completed we performed one final intensive cleaning. After the upstairs was thoroughly cleaned we brought back the now clean possessions and placed them back where we found them, including the dog. We take photos from all angles in each room to assure that all personal property is reset as if the fire never happened. We are very happy with the work we did and hope the home owners and future home owners enjoy it for years to come.

Chief Editor: Dana A

Contributing Editor: Daylina B