Knowing what to do after a wildfire can help you act fast—but safely—to restore your home and make sure your air and surfaces are safe. Wildfires move quickly and leave behind destruction, uncertainty, and health risks. Whether your home was damaged or just in the area of a fire, cleanup and recovery takes careful planning and can benefit from professional guidance.
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Stay Safe Before Returning Home After a Wildfire
Wait for official approval before going back to your property. Even if your house looks fine, hidden dangers like unstable structures, toxic ash, or damaged gas lines could put you at risk.
If you need to go inside, wear protective gear: an N95 mask, gloves, boots, and coveralls. Don’t sweep or vacuum, since that can stir up dangerous particles. Many burned materials contain dangerous materials like asbestos and lead, which can cause serious health issues if you breathe them in.
The Fire Cleanup Process: What Happens After a Wildfire
Los Angeles County breaks wildfire recovery into three key steps:
- Checking for Hazardous Materials (Like Asbestos & Lead): Experts test for dangerous substances that may have been released during the fire. These need to be removed before cleanup starts.
- Removing Debris: Once hazardous materials are taken care of, workers can safely clear away burned structures and other waste.
- Testing & Cleaning Soil: Fire can leave dangerous chemicals in the ground. Professional testing makes sure the land is safe before rebuilding.
Even if your home wasn’t burned, smoke, ash, and soot can settle inside miles away. These particles can contaminate indoor air and surfaces, making testing an important step in what to do after a wildfire before moving back in.
Why Testing Your Home Matters After a Wildfire
Just because your home looks okay doesn’t mean it’s safe. After a wildfire, toxic particles can linger in the air and on surfaces, affecting your health long after the flames are out. Testing for smoke, soot, ash, and other contaminants will tell you if professional cleaning is needed and help with insurance claims.
At Home Biotesting, we assess post-fire contamination and provide detailed reports that can support insurance claims and guide cleanup efforts.
What to Do After a Wildfire to Restore Your Home
If your home was damaged by the fire
- Get asbestos and lead testing to check for dangerous materials. Call us for mandatory asbestos and lead testing
- Contact your insurance provider and provide your claim number to us for direct billing through insurance
- Arrange cleanup with trusted professionals who specialize in post-fire restoration.
If your home wasn’t burned but was near the fire
- Schedule smoke, soot, and ash testing to make sure your home is safe.
- Use our reports to decide if professional cleaning is necessary.
- If you or a professional find contamination, we can document the findings to help with your insurance claim.
Call Us to Make Sure Your Home is Safe After a Wildfire
Recovering from a wildfire is overwhelming, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. If you’re unsure what to do after a wildfire, Home Biotesting provides thorough fire damage assessments, helping you take the right steps toward a safe and complete recovery.
Call us today at 818-697-4600 or email o@biotesting.com to schedule testing and make sure your home is safe to return to after a wildfire.