The Problem
A house fire can be one of the most devastating experiences for homeowners, causing extensive structural damage, emotional distress, and long-term health risks from soot, smoke, and hazardous materials. In the UK, more than 30,000 house fires occur each year, leaving thousands of homes in urgent need of professional fire damage cleaning and restoration.
One family in Dulwich, London, faced this nightmare when a fire, caused by a bag of lithium batteries igniting, quickly spread from their conservatory through the entire house. By the time the fire brigade extinguished the flames, the property had suffered catastrophic smoke, soot, and structural damage.
Once the fire department declared the property safe to enter, the homeowners immediately contacted Ideal Response for professional fire damage cleaning and restoration. Given the severity of the damage, they needed experts who could:
- Remove fire-damaged materials safely
- Deep-clean and decontaminate soot-covered surfaces
- Eliminate lingering smoke odours and health hazards
- Restore the home to a safe, habitable condition
The Solution
Step 1: Securing the Property
Before we could begin fire damage cleaning, we needed to ensure the property was structurally safe:
- Electrical & gas inspections – A gas engineer confirmed the system needed full replacement, while an electrician installed a temporary power supply for our equipment.
- Asbestos testing – Samples were taken and sent for urgent testing. Once we received confirmation that the home was asbestos-free, our team could start the restoration process.
Step 2: Removing Fire-Damaged Materials
- Contents removal – Working closely with the family, we identified valuable and sentimental items to be salvaged. Items such as jewellery and important documents were recovered successfully.
- Waste disposal – Due to the severe smoke and fire damage, most household items (including furniture, clothing, and carpets) had to be discarded. We arranged multiple skips to clear the property efficiently.
Step 3: Stripping Fixtures & Fittings
- Kitchen & flooring removal – The entire kitchen, flooring, and damaged fixtures had to be stripped out to remove all fire-affected materials.
- Wall & ceiling assessment – Some walls and ceilings were too damaged to save and required demolition.
- Bathroom restoration – The bathrooms were salvageable, so we conducted a thorough soot and smoke damage cleaning to restore them to a safe, usable condition.
Step 4: Deep Cleaning & Decontamination
- Soot & smoke removal – Using specialist chemicals and soot sponges, we cleaned every surface, walls, ceilings, doors, rails, and stairs, to remove all fire-related contaminants.
- Odour elimination – Smoke odour can linger for months if not treated properly. Our advanced air scrubbing and decontamination systems ensured the home was completely free of smoke residue and harmful particles.
The Result
- Safe, smoke-free, and ready for restoration – The home was left as a clean, safe, and odour-free shell, ready for the homeowners to begin rebuilding.
- Turnaround in just 2 weeks! – Despite the scale of the job, we completed the fire damage cleaning and restoration in just two weeks, including working through a bank holiday weekend.
- 100% fire contamination removal – Every trace of soot, smoke, and hazardous particles was eliminated, ensuring the home met strict health and safety standards.
By restoring what we could and disposing of what couldn’t be saved, we helped the family move forward from a traumatic experience with peace of mind.
If you are looking for a professional fire damage cleaning service, contact one of the team who will be happy to guide you through how we can help.
