Fire & Smoke · Bronx
Board-up, hose water, soot, smoke odor and the rebuild, handled by one crew. We work the burned apartment and the halls and units the smoke reached.
What We Do
When the trucks leave, three problems are still in the building: water from the hoses, soot on every surface the smoke touched, and a smell that gets deeper the longer it sits. We deal with all three, then put the rooms back together. All Star Restoration handles fire damage restoration in the Bronx around the clock, and you can reach our team at 646-543-2242.
In a Bronx apartment building, a fire that starts in one unit usually reaches the hall, the stairs and the units above. We plan for that from the first walk-through.
Tenants, owners, managing agents and street-level shops call us for the whole fire and smoke damage job, and if mold or leftover water turns up later, we handle that too through our Bronx restoration services.
How The Job Runs
Before our crew arrives:
Secure it. Windows broken out and doors forced open during the fight get boarded the same visit, so the apartment is closed to weather and strangers.
Get the water out. Hose water sits in the fire unit and runs down into the apartments and stores below. We extract it from every affected unit and set drying equipment in each one, because wet walls left alone turn into a mold job.
Map the damage. Thermal imaging and moisture meters show us wet framing behind the walls. Then we look for soot in the places people miss.
Tear out and clean. Burned drywall, insulation and flooring come out of the fire unit. Every surface that stays gets cleaned with the method that fits the residue, since wiping greasy soot the wrong way just spreads it. Belongings that can be saved are cleaned and deodorized.
Remove the odor. Our smoke odor removal starts only after the soot is gone. If ozone is needed, it goes in after cleaning, with nobody inside.
Rebuild. The same crew frames, hangs drywall, lays floors, sets cabinets and paints, and we coordinate the plumbing and electrical work. Then we walk the finished unit with you.
We document the loss for your insurer along the way and can bill the carrier directly. Inspections and estimates are free.
Supers, Agents and Tenants
Most Bronx homes are rented, as Census figures for Bronx County show. The buildings range from walk-ups and large prewar elevator buildings to two-family houses in the north and east Bronx. In most of them, a fire job means one owner, a managing agent or super, and several households who all need answers. Here's how we keep it straight:
One safety note while the building recovers. Under HPD's self-closing door rules, apartment and hallway doors have to swing shut and latch by themselves. If a door or its closer was damaged in the fire, tell the owner or super so it gets fixed.
Hidden Damage
The burned room is obvious. The expensive surprises are elsewhere, so we check these before we write the scope:
We take moisture readings until the structure is dry, and we don't close up walls before then. Odor gets a final check after cleaning, before any new drywall or paint goes on, because paint over a smoky surface only traps the smell.
Heater and Outlet Fires
Many winter apartment fires start with a heater or an overloaded outlet. They leave melted plastic and oily soot that smears when you wipe it. Leave the scorched outlet alone until an electrician checks it. We remove what burned, clean the soot off the walls and belongings, and rebuild the wall if it has to be opened. Going forward, FDNY's advice is to plug a heater straight into a wall outlet, never a power strip or extension cord.
What We Handle
Each card opens the full page for that kind of damage.
Smoke cleaned from surfaces, contents, and air.
See Smoke DamageAcidic soot removed before it stains for good.
See Soot CleanupOdor neutralized at the source, not masked.
See Fire Odor RemovalGrease and appliance fire cleanup and rebuild.
See Kitchen Fire DamageUnit and building fire response, start to finish.
See Apartment Fire DamageDrying out the water the hoses left behind.
See Water Damage After FireGetting your business open again fast.
See Commercial FireQuestions
Smoke rises through stairwells, elevator shafts and the openings around pipes, and it leaves a thin film on whatever it touches. That film keeps giving off odor until it's cleaned off. We check your walls, closets and vents and tell you what needs cleaning.
Hold off if you can. Photograph everything first and ask your insurer before you discard anything, unless it's a safety hazard. We list damaged items room by room.
Usually the owner repairs the building itself, and a renters policy, if you carry one, covers your own belongings. Your lease and policy decide the details, so read them or ask before you assume.
Yes. We set up access to the halls and other apartments through them, and we keep them updated as each unit is finished.
Usually, yes. If you have a renters or homeowner policy, report the smoke damage to your own insurer. If someone else turns out to be at fault, the insurance companies can settle that between them later.
Water, fire, mold, or sewage, one call starts the recovery. We show up fast and we do not leave until it is done right.
Call 646-543-2242 Request ServiceRequest Service
We'll call you right back, and give you a free estimate. For an active emergency, the fastest way to reach us is by phone, day or night.