Smoke and Ash in Your Home After a Wildfire: What to Clean Yourself and When to Call a Pro

By Gabriela Miszti, MBA, CFE, Owner / Vice President, PuroClean of Northeast Orange County

The short answer: If your home has a light layer of ash on surfaces and only a faint smoke smell, you can usually clean it yourself with a damp cloth, a HEPA vacuum and an N95 mask. If soot is in your carpets, walls or air ducts, the smell won’t go away after a few days, or anyone in your home has asthma or heart or lung problems, it’s time for professional smoke damage restoration.

Santa Ana winds can carry smoke and ash for miles. Homes in Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda, Orange Park Acres and Silverado can be affected even when the fire never comes close. Ash slips in through gaps around windows and doors, attic vents and your HVAC system. It’s more than a nuisance: the California Department of Public Health warns that wildfire ash can contain toxic metals and chemicals that irritate the skin, eyes, nose and throat and can trigger asthma attacks.

Here’s how to handle wildfire smoke and ash safely, and how to tell when it’s a job for a fire and smoke restoration company.

Is It Safe to Be in Your Home After Wildfire Smoke?

Wait until local officials say it’s safe to return and outdoor air quality has improved. You can check current conditions at AirNow.gov. Then take these first steps:

1. Keep children and pets away from ash until the area has been cleaned. The EPA says children should return only after affected areas are cleaned up. Wash ash off toys and pets.
2. Protect yourself before you clean. Wear a tight-fitting N95 or P100 respirator (a paper dust mask won’t stop fine particles), gloves, goggles, long sleeves and long pants.
3. Wash ash off your skin right away. The California Department of Public Health notes that some wet ash can cause chemical burns.
4. Air out the house by opening windows and doors, but only once the outdoor air has cleared.
5. Set your HVAC to recirculate and replace the filter. Run a HEPA air purifier in the rooms you use most.
   
   If anyone feels chest pain, tightness or shortness of breath while cleaning, stop and seek medical care. People with asthma or heart or lung conditions should not do ash cleanup themselves.

Wildfire Ash Cleanup You Can Do Yourself

Light ash on hard surfaces is usually a do-it-yourself job. The goal is to pick ash up without putting it back into the air.

1. Start high, work low. Clean shelves and counters before floors so falling ash lands on surfaces you haven’t cleaned yet.
2. Wipe hard surfaces with a damp cloth and mild soap and water. Rinse the cloth often. Glass, ceramic, metal and sealed wood clean up well.
3. Vacuum with a HEPA-filter vacuum only. Ordinary and shop vacuums don’t trap fine particles and blow them back into the room.
4. Damp-mop hard floors rather than sweeping.
5. Wash clothing, bedding and curtains in the washing machine. Washable fabrics can usually be saved.
6. Bag the ash. Seal collected ash and used rags in plastic bags (CDPH recommends double-bagging) before putting them in the trash.
7. Outdoors, keep ash out of storm drains. Gently wet patios and walkways and scoop ash up instead of hosing it into the street.

What Not to Do

• Don’t dry-sweep or use a leaf blower. Both throw fine ash back into the air you breathe.
• Don’t use a regular or shop vacuum. Use HEPA only.
• Don’t cover the smell with candles, incense or air fresheners. They add more particles indoors.
• Don’t use harsh chemical cleaners or aerosols on ash. Soap and water are safer.
• Don’t run an ozone generator in an occupied home. Ozone irritates the lungs, and smoke odor removal is a job for trained technicians.
• Don’t throw out damaged belongings before you photograph them. You’ll need them for your insurance claim (see below).

When You Need Professional Smoke Damage Restoration

Call a restoration company if any of these apply:

• The smoke smell is still there after a few days of airing out and cleaning.
• You see gray or black soot on walls, ceilings, carpet or upholstery. Soot smears when wiped and can stain permanently if cleaned the wrong way.
• Ash or soot got into your HVAC system or air ducts.
• Ash is in the attic, wall cavities or insulation.
• Anyone in the home has asthma, heart or lung disease, is pregnant, or is elderly.
• Your home was close to the fire and was hit by heavy smoke or embers, or you need documentation for an insurance claim.

Professional smoke damage restoration follows the ANSI/IICRC S700 Standard for Professional Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration. At PuroClean of Northeast Orange County, an IICRC Certified firm, that typically means:

1. Inspection and documentation of affected rooms, contents and HVAC.
2. Containment and HEPA air scrubbing to remove fine particles from the air while we work.
3. Soot cleanup of walls, ceilings, floors and furniture, using methods matched to each material so soot isn’t smeared in.
4. Contents cleaning of salvageable belongings.
5. Smoke odor removal that removes the source of the odor rather than masking it.

Smoke damage gets harder to remove the longer it sits. Call PuroClean of Northeast Orange County 24/7 at (714) 643-2558 for an on-site assessment.

Documenting Smoke Damage for Your Insurance Claim

Many homeowners policies cover smoke damage even when the fire never touched the house, but coverage depends on your policy, so call your agent early. Good records make the claim smoother:

• Photograph and video everything before you clean: ash on surfaces, soot on walls, stained fabrics and the HVAC filter.
• Keep a written log of dates, what you cleaned, what you threw away and what you spent (masks, HEPA filters, hotel stays).
• Keep receipts and set damaged items aside until your adjuster has seen them or approved disposal.
• Get a professional assessment if you’re unsure how far the smoke reached. A restoration report gives your adjuster an objective record.

As a Certified Fraud Examiner, I’d add one warning: after a fire, unlicensed “contractors” often go door to door. Before you sign anything, check the company’s California contractor license at cslb.ca.gov, ask for proof of insurance, and never pay a large deposit up front. If your home had flames or direct fire damage, see our guide on what to do (and not do) after a house fire.

Frequently Asked Questions

24/7 Smoke Damage Restoration in Anaheim, Orange and Yorba Linda

PuroClean of Northeast Orange County provides fire and smoke damage restoration, soot cleanup and smoke odor removal for homes and businesses in Anaheim, Orange, Yorba Linda, Villa Park and surrounding communities. Call (714) 643-2558 any time, day or night, or request an on-site estimate. Learn more about our fire and smoke damage restoration services.PuroClean of Northeast Orange County serves Anaheim, Orange, Yorba Linda, Villa Park and surrounding communities. Call (714) 643-2558 any time, day or night, or request an on-site estimate. Learn more about our fire and smoke damage restoration services.

About the Author

Gabriela Miszti, MBA, CFE, is co-owner and Vice President of PuroClean of Northeast Orange County, an IICRC Certified and EPA Lead-Safe Certified restoration firm based in Anaheim. A Certified Fraud Examiner with a background in finance, investigations, compliance and corporate security, she helps homeowners and insurance professionals across Anaheim, Orange, Yorba Linda and Villa Park navigate water, fire and mold damage. She also serves on the OCACFE advisory board

Sources:

EPA: Protect Yourself from Ash; California Department of Public Health: Reduce Wildfire Ash Exposure In & Around Your Home.