Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration
on Long Island and in New York City
From securing your property the night of the fire to rebuilding the rooms it damaged, Advanced Restoration is with you every step of the way.
Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration
The hours after a fire are some of the hardest a family or business owner will ever go through. Once the fire trucks pull away, you're left with a building that smells like smoke, rooms covered in soot, and a lot of questions about what can be saved. Advanced Restoration has spent more than 30 years helping property owners across Suffolk County, Nassau County, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx recover from fire and smoke damage, and we're available 24 hours a day to help you take the first steps.
What to do after the fire department leaves
Before you go back inside, make sure the fire department has cleared the building and confirmed that it's safe to enter. Once you're in, it's best to avoid wiping down walls, furniture, or other surfaces, because soot smears easily and can stain permanently if it's cleaned with the wrong products. You should also leave the heating and air conditioning off so the system doesn't pull smoke and soot into rooms that weren't affected.
If you can, take photos of the damage before anything is moved, and gather any medications, documents, and valuables you'll need over the next few days. Food, cosmetics, and medicine that were exposed to heat or smoke should be thrown away, even if they look fine.
Why smoke damage reaches further than you'd expect
A fire may only cause damage to one room, but the smoke and heat it creates can travel through the entire building. Smoke moves into wall cavities, closets, attics, and ductwork, and it settles into drywall, insulation, carpet, and clothing, which is why the smell can linger in parts of the house the flames never touched.
Soot is also more harmful than it looks. It's acidic, so the longer it sits on surfaces like countertops, tile, metal fixtures, and painted walls, the more likely it is to discolor or etch them for good. On top of that, the water used to put out the fire often soaks floors and walls, and if it isn't dried properly, it can lead to mold within a few days. Starting the cleanup quickly gives you the best chance of saving more and replacing less.
Have you recently experienced a fire in your home or business? Call (631) 422-2100, and we'll help you secure the property and start the cleanup.
How we restore fire and smoke damaged properties
- Securing the property
- Assessing and documenting the damage
- Removing water and damaged materials
- Cleaning soot and smoke residue
- Eliminating smoke odor
- Restoring what the fire and smoke damaged
How We Work
We follow each stage of the restoration process with careful coordination and project documentation.
01 / Securing the property
Fires often leave behind broken windows, damaged doors, and holes in the roof, so our first job is making sure your property is protected. We board up openings and tarp damaged roofs to keep out rain, wind, and anyone who shouldn't be there while the restoration is underway.
02 / Assessing and documenting the damage
Your project manager will walk through the property with you, document the damage with photos, and put together a clear plan for the cleanup and repairs. This gives you a full record of the loss for your insurance company and a clear picture of what to expect.
03 / Removing water and damaged materials
Next, we extract the water left behind by firefighting efforts, and dry the structure so mold doesn't have a chance to start. We also remove materials that were too badly burned or damaged to save, which clears the way for a thorough cleaning.
04 / Cleaning soot and smoke residue
Different fires leave different kinds of residue, so our technicians match the cleaning method to what they find on your walls, ceilings, cabinets, and other surfaces. Air filtration runs throughout this stage to capture airborne soot and improve the air quality inside the building.
05 / Eliminating smoke odor
Covering up smoke odor with spray and fragrance only works for a few days, so we focus on dealing with the odor at its source. That means deodorizing the structure, treating porous materials, and cleaning and decontaminating the ductwork so the smell doesn't come back the first time the heat or air conditioning starts running.
06 / Restoring what the fire and smoke damaged
Once the cleanup is finished, our team puts your property back together. With more than 30 years of experience in residential and commercial construction, we can handle everything from framing and drywall to flooring and paint, so you won't need to hire a separate contractor for the reconstruction.
Puffbacks: a common problem in Long Island homes
Not every smoke problem starts with a fire. A puffback happens when an oil burner or furnace misfires and sends soot through the heating system and out of the vents, sometimes coating every room in the house with a fine, oily film overnight. Puffbacks are especially common in older Long Island homes that still use oil heat, and they tend to happen when the heating system kicks on for the first time in the fall or works hard during a cold stretch.
Oily puffback soot smears immediately upon contact, so it's best not to clean it yourself in order to avoid spreading the damage. Our technicians use cleaning products made for this kind of residue, clean the duct system so the soot doesn't keep circulating, and deodorize the home so the smell is gone for good.
Saving your belongings after a fire
Many things that look ruined after a fire can actually be restored with a professional touch. Our contents team will pack out your belongings, photograph and document each item, and clean everything that can be saved. Hard items like dishes, decor, and small appliances go through ultrasonic cleaning, while clothing, draperies, linens, and upholstered furniture are professionally dry cleaned to remove soot and smoke odor. Everything is kept in our climate-controlled storage until your home is ready.
We also work with all major insurance companies, and we handle direct billing and paperwork with your insurer so you can focus on your family instead of the claim.
Why Long Island property owners trust Advanced Restoration after a fire
Advanced Restoration is a locally owned company based in West Babylon, and our team has been restoring homes and businesses across Long Island and New York City for more than 30 years. We're IICRC Certified and licensed in both Suffolk and Nassau counties, and because we handle everything from the board up to the final coat of paint, you'll work with one team for the entire project.
Personal Service Through Every Step
Every job is assigned a dedicated project manager who keeps you informed from the first visit to the final walkthrough, and our uniformed technicians treat your home and your belongings with the utmost care and respect.
Let us handle the cleanup, the paperwork, and the rebuild. Call (631) 422-2100 or request service online to get started.
Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration FAQs
Ideally, cleanup should begin as soon as the fire department clears the property. Soot is acidic and can start discoloring surfaces within hours, and the water used to put out the fire can lead to mold within a couple of days, so starting quickly usually means more of your home and belongings can be cleaned instead of replaced.
In most cases, yes. The key is removing the odor at its source rather than masking it, which means cleaning affected surfaces, treating porous materials, deodorizing the structure, and cleaning the HVAC system so it doesn’t keep spreading the smell.
A puffback is a misfire in an oil burner or furnace that pushes soot through the heating system and out of the vents. If you wake up to black, oily residue on your walls or furniture, turn off the heating system, avoid touching or wiping the soot, and call a professional restoration company to clean it properly.
That depends on how much damage the fire caused and whether the fire department or a building inspector has cleared the home. Smoke residue can irritate your lungs and eyes, so many families choose to stay somewhere else during the heaviest part of the cleanup. Your project manager can help you decide what makes sense for your situation.
Yes. We work with all major insurance companies and handle direct billing and paperwork with your insurer, so you can focus on your family while we take care of the rest.
Yes. Advanced Restoration is a full-service restoration contractor with more than 30 years of experience in residential and commercial construction, so the same team that cleans up after the fire can rebuild your home once the cleanup is complete.
Serving Long Island and New York City
Suffolk County, Nassau County, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
You Don't Have to Face This Alone
Recovering from a fire takes time, but the service and support you need to get through it is just one phone call away. If your home or business on Long Island or in Queens, Brooklyn, or the Bronx has been damaged by fire or smoke, call Advanced Restoration at (631) 422-2100 day or night, and our team will be there to help you every step of the way.