Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration

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This week’s Technical Tip shares why annual respirator fit testing is critical for OSHA compliance and worker safety. Barry Rice, CSP, highlights key aspects of fit testing, what it prevents, and why consistency is key.

Homeowners often struggle to find and choose a qualified fire restoration company after a loss. Annissa Coy breaks down what proper onboarding looks like, what questions professionals should ask, and how to identify a trained, certified restoration team. 

Homeowners face information overload after WUI fires, while real risks linger indoors. This article translates science into practice and defines burn/near/far-field impact zones, separates visible from invisible, outlines forensic sampling strategies, and provides heavy-metal background context with defensible, ALARA-based PRV targets restorers and IHs can use to close complete their projects confidently.

Barry Rice, CSP, shares how restorers can make informed, defensible respiratory protection decisions in post-fire environments where conditions constantly change. 

In this episode of Ask Annissa, she shares best practices for packout, transporting, and cleaning wildfire-contaminated contents. She gives restoration professionals clear, defensible protocols to share with their customers. 

After soot damaged a customer’s books in a kitchen fire, an industry professional asked for Annissa’s expert insights on cleaning them safely. See what works and what you should avoid.

Have you wondered how you can effectively clean smoke-affected crystals and coral? Annissa Coy shares why client onboarding matters and offers safe, gentle cleaning methods for these specialty items. 

Emerging science reveals that lingering fire smoke residues may pose health risks similar to thirdhand tobacco smoke.

John Ortega explains why eliminating odors is essential to restoring comfort, trust and peace of mind.