Location: Niles, Illinois
Property Type: Two-story residential home with crawlspace
Service Provided: Fire damage cleanup, debris removal, structural cleaning, and odor treatment
Cost of Services: $28,500
The Problem and Our Solution
A fire broke out in the crawlspace beneath a two-story home on August 13, 2026. Smoke and soot quickly spread throughout multiple rooms on both floors.
Here’s what we found and how we addressed each issue:
Crawlspace
- Charred debris and fire residue. There was charred debris and blackened material covering most of the crawlspace floor. We cleaned the area and used a pump sprayer to clean surfaces where the fire had started.
- Lingering smoke odors. The crawlspace needed deodorization after the fire. We used one HEPA air scrubber to filter airborne particles and one hydroxyl generator to help remove smoke odors.
First Floor
- Smoke and soot residue throughout the rooms. We used HEPA vacuums and dry-cleaning soot sponges to clean walls, ceilings, and other surfaces in the living room, hallway, bathroom, two closets, nursery, kitchen, dining room, family room, and utility/laundry room.
- Residue on furniture and other surfaces. We used HEPA vacuums to clean furniture and interior surfaces in the rooms on the first floor, removing dust and fire-related residue.
Stairway and Second Floor
- Smoke and soot residue. The stairway, second-floor hallway, master bedroom, second bedroom, and bathroom were covered in soot. We used HEPA vacuums and dry-cleaning soot sponges to remove residue from walls, ceilings, windows, closets, and other surfaces, then vacuumed furniture and cleaned any remaining soot.
- Damaged drywall and insulation. The second-floor bedroom had more damage than other rooms. We took out approximately 50 square feet of damaged drywall and 50 square feet of insulation. We also bagged the debris and cleaned the area.
Exterior
- Damaged soffits and debris. The fire damaged sections of the exterior soffit, leaving some wooden framing exposed. We also had to clean debris from outside the home.
The Timeline
August 13–14 – Fire Damage and Initial Response
- The fire started in the crawlspace beneath the home on August 13.
- Our team arrived the following day to inspect the damage and create a work plan.
- The inspection helped us identify which rooms needed cleaning and where we had to remove damaged materials.
August 16 – Second-Floor Cleaning and Debris Removal
- We cleaned windows, walls, ceilings, and closet areas in the rooms affected by fire.
- We took out damaged drywall from the second-floor bedroom and collected debris in bags.
- Setting up air scrubbers and hydroxyl generators helped clean the air and reduce smoke odors.
August 20 – First-Floor Structural Cleaning
- Cleaning continued in the stairway, family room, kitchen, living room, and dining room.
- We also worked in the first-floor bedroom and the linen closet off the hallway.
August 21 – Utility Room and Crawlspace Treatment
- We continued cleaning the first-floor utility/laundry room.
- In the crawlspace, our team used a sprayer to treat surfaces where the fire started.
August 23 – Detailed Surface and Furniture Cleaning
- We vacuumed surfaces and furniture in the second-floor master bedroom, second bedroom, and hallway.
- Cleaning continued in the stairway and family room.
- Our team also cleaned surfaces and furniture in the living room and dining room.
- Completed the work.
