According to the NFPA, house fires are much more common than people think. Between the years 2011-2015, U.S. fire departments reported around 358,000 residential home fires every year. To add to it, the reported house fire cases caused 2,695 deaths, 12,000 injuries, and property damage that averages around $7 billion.

So, what causes house fires? Most of them start from open flames, accidents, cooking, and other causes. Around 50% of those fires come from the kitchen due to cooking. Rarely do they come from the bedroom and outdoors. Although, a small percentage of fires do also happen in the attic, laundry room, or basement.

A Basement Fire Can Be Fatal

According to the U.S Fire Administration, 6,500 one- and two-family residential building basement fires took place between the years 2010 to 2012. These fires caused 65 deaths, 400 injuries, and a total of $278 million in damage.

Basement fires can become extremely dangerous very quickly due to their unique nature. Most basements have flammable and hazardous materials and have a limited amount of exits. Also, due to the structural damage from basement fires, sizable and significant cleanup is required.

The Mess Basement Fires Leave Behind 

The biggest issue after a basement fire is the smoke. Since smoke rises, it enters the house’s HVAC system, which could circulate it throughout the entire house, causing damage. The damage left behind is substantial and will most likely require professional cleanup.

In some states, you may need specific licenses to undertake cleanup caused by fire damage. The good news is, there is a specialist and niche service, “basement fire damage restoration” in which professionals provide expertise and experience for your home fire cleanup.

How Does Basement Fire Damage Restoration Work?

Cleaning up after fire damage doesn’t just mean mopping the floors and wiping down the walls. It requires several important steps:

1. The first step is to assess the damage.
2. Then the fire damage restoration company will clean up the mess and prevent further damage to ensure that the home will not continue to deteriorate.
3. Depending on the company, their licensing and the laws in your state, a company can also undertake home repairs.

The Cost of Basement Fire Damage Restoration

The cost of restoring a basement varies and depends on the size of the basement and the extent of the damage. The average cost of repairing and restoring smoke damage in a home is around $3000. However, if the fire has caused the basement to flood due to damage to the pipes, it can increase the cost of restoration. The costs for flood damage restoration range from $500-10,000.

In general, the cost of repairing and restoring fire and smoke damage is around $5 per square foot. The final total is a combination of three factors— water damage, soot removal & cleanup, and burnt materials cleanup.

Homeowners’ Insurance and Basement Fire Damage Restoration

A key factor in the final cost of restoring fire damage is the amount covered by insurance. Depending on your coverage and the details of the fire, your homeowners’ insurance will cover some of the cleanup. However, this depends on the policy and provider. So, it’s important to get information from your insurance company before undertaking any fire damage restoration work in your basement and home.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.