Fire, Smoke and Soot Damage Statistics

House fires can be devastating, but they don’t always mean a total loss. Emergency home restoration can make homes livable again by removing odors and damage from water, smoke and soot. This return to normalcy doesn’t come cheap. Fire restoration contractors typically charge a flat rate that varies depending on the type of work done and the home’s square footage.

Fire damage restoration often covers multiple problems at once. For example, restoration may need to first dry the water used to extinguish the fire, then repair damage to HVAC ducts and vents, deodorize fabrics covered in soot and odor from smoke and remove items that are beyond repair. Each task comes at a different price.

Smoke Damage – Residue and toxic odors from smoke clings to absorbent surfaces like upholstered furniture, carpeting and wall sand causes stains.

Water Damage – Extinguishing a large house fire requires a huge amount of water from sprinklers or hoses. You’ll likely be left with soaked walls, floors, furniture, carpets, ceilings, cabinets, electronics and more. Having water removed right away prevents mold growth.

Note: You’ll pay more if the fire damages you’re plumbing or electrical system.

Soot Removal – Soot is a highly acidic ash left behind by fires. It gets into crevices of walls, floors and furniture to cause permanent stains and serious health hazards. The longer soot sits, the more it costs to remove. 

Damaged Item Removal – Before structural repairs can be made to your home, burnt materials need to be removed and disposed of properly.

Deodorizing Furniture – If you have salvageable furniture after a fire, it will likely still give off strong smoke fumes that may be toxic to inhale.

Whole-house purifying treatments are used to eliminate smells by breaking down odor-causing compounds.

Duct Cleaning

Smoke odors and soot get trapped inside ductwork. If not removed, running the HVAC system cycles these odors through your home and negatively impacts indoor air quality.

Ozone Treatment

It works by attaching ozone to odor molecules, delivering high levels of oxygen to break down those molecules in the air on surfaces.

Thermal Fogging

Thermal fogging is another deodorizing technique. It involves misting a heated chemical agent across fabrics and surfaces, permanently lifting smoke particles and neutralizing lingering odors in hard-to-reach areas.

Fire Damage Statistics:

The frequency of insurance claims being filed each year due to fire: About one in 425 insured homes has a property damage claim related to fire and lighting.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration:

Residential Fire Estimate Summaries (2013-2022)

The 2022 national estimates for residential building fires and losses show that there were:

• 374,300 fires.

Overall trends

Overall trends for residential building fires and losses for the 10-year period of 2013 to 2022 show the following:

• A 4% decrease in fires.
• A 21% increase in dollar loss^*.

^*This overall constant dollar-loss trend takes inflation into account by adjusting each year’s dollar loss to its equivalent 2022 value.

The 2022 national estimates for the leading causes of residential building fire dollar loss show that there was:

• $2,289,200,000 loss from other unintentional, careless fires.
• $1,492,400,000 loss from electrical malfunction fires.
• $904,400,000 loss from open-flame fires.

Nonresidential Fire Estimate Summaries (2013-2022)

The 2022 national estimates for nonresidential building fires and losses show that there were:

• 129,500 fires.

Overall trends

Overall trends for nonresidential building fires and losses for the 10-year period of 2013 to 2022 show the following:

• A 27% increase in fires.

The 2022 national estimates for the leading causes of nonresidential building fire dollar loss show that there were:

• $909,700,000 loss from other unintentional, careless fires.
• $411,300,000 loss from equipment malfunction fires.
• $374,500,000 loss from electrical malfunction fires.
• $307,400,000 loss from other equipment fires.

This may be too much for a first- or second-year adjuster to handle. The carrier or the desk adjuster may need to consider hiring a professional with experience handling large fire losses. There are so many other line items to consider other than cleaning, replacing drywall, and painting.

BCSI will always bring an honest and a balanced approach to the Insurance claims investigation Industry. “Trust, Truth, and Facts Matter” Our clients TRUST BCSI to tell the TRUTH about the FACTS obtained during our investigations. We would like to be considered a continued resource you can always count on.

Submitting new assignments is easy and can be done in about two minutes. Just visit www.mybcsi.com, select Submit Assignment and answer a few questions, drag and drop the claim documents, and select submit. You can also submit a new assignment by simply emailing them to assignment@mybcsi.com.

For more information BCSI and the services we provide visit www.mybcsi.com or call us direct at 954-873-1075.