Independent contractors, licensed in California
(805) 697-5915

This week

Wildfire Smoke Cleanup in California

Removing wildfire ash and fine particulate from a property that was never alight. The most common smoke job in California and the one most often dismissed as just dust.

Call (805) 697-5915 Do you need it?

Call about Wildfire Smoke Cleanup

(805) 697-5915

No charge to you, and you are never committed to going ahead.

What happens when you call

  1. You describe the problem and where you are.
  2. We put you in touch with a licensed local company covering that area.
  3. They arrange the visit and agree the price with you directly.

Worth having ready

  • Whether there was a fire in the building, or it came from outside
  • Which rooms are affected, and whether the HVAC has been running
  • Roughly when it happened
  • Your ZIP code
  • Licensed & insured Every company we put you through to holds current licensing and insurance.
  • Know what to ask You are told what actually decides the price, so you can judge a quote.
  • Someone local You are put through to a technician who works your area, not a call center three states away.
  • Calls answered 7 days Someone picks up seven days a week, weekends included.

Is it urgent?

This week

Ash is alkaline and corrodes what it sits on. In California this is the most common smoke job by a wide margin, and it is routinely underestimated because nothing looks damaged.

Two things override everything on this page. Wildfire ash is not ordinary dust — wear a fitted N95 if you are going to be in it, and never a leaf blower or a household vacuum, which put it straight back into the air. And if there was a fire in the building, do not go back in until the fire service has released it.

Signs to look for

  • Fine gray ash on sills, floors and horizontal surfaces after a nearby fire
  • A persistent campfire smell indoors with no fire in the building
  • Ash visible in the attic or crawlspace, or around vents
  • Symptoms — throat, eyes, cough — that are worse indoors than out
  • HVAC filters loading up far faster than normal

How the work is done

  1. HEPA-vacuum and wet-wipe rather than sweeping or blowing, which re-suspends it
  2. Check the attic, crawlspace and ductwork, which are where it settles unseen
  3. Clean window tracks, screens and soft furnishings, which hold it longest
  4. Replace filters and clean the HVAC last, so the system is not re-contaminated

In California specifically

California's Mediterranean on the coast, hot and dry inland climate and its housing stock — stucco ranch and bungalow, tile or composition roofs, slab in the south and raised crawlspace through the Bay Area and the north — decide what is worth doing first. California is also the one state where duct leakage is routinely tested: Title 24 requires a HERS-verified duct test on most furnace or air-conditioner changeouts, so a duct problem here often surfaces as a failed test rather than as a complaint.

Before the technician arrives

Four things worth doing — and the first one is usually the thing people get wrong.

  1. Wear a fitted N95 before cleaning anything. Wildfire ash is not ordinary dust and a cloth mask does nothing.
  2. Do not use a leaf blower or a domestic vacuum on ash — both put it straight back into the air. HEPA only.
  3. Change the HVAC filter and leave the system off until the ducts have been checked.
  4. Open windows only if the outside air is genuinely clearer, which during a smoke event it usually is not.

What the work looks like

Photographs of wildfire smoke cleanup being carried out, so you know what to expect on the day.

How it works

Three steps, and you decide at the end of them.

  1. 1

    You call and describe the problem

    Tell us what you have noticed and where — the room, the smell, the noise, how long it has been going on. Give us your ZIP code and we will match you to a licensed company covering your area. There is no form to fill in.

  2. 2

    A local company takes it from there

    They discuss the problem with you directly, arrange a time to inspect, and agree the work and the price with you before anything starts. That conversation is between you and them.

  3. 3

    You decide whether to go ahead

    You are under no obligation. If the quote or the approach is not what you wanted, you are free to say no and call someone else.

Wildfire Smoke Cleanup — FAQs

Do I actually need Wildfire Smoke Cleanup done?

Ash is alkaline and corrodes what it sits on. In California this is the most common smoke job by a wide margin, and it is routinely underestimated because nothing looks damaged.

What does Wildfire Smoke Cleanup involve?

Removing wildfire ash and fine particulate from a property that was never alight. The most common smoke job in California and the one most often dismissed as just dust.

What makes this different in California?

California's Mediterranean on the coast, hot and dry inland climate and its housing stock — stucco ranch and bungalow, tile or composition roofs, slab in the south and raised crawlspace through the Bay Area and the north — decide what is worth doing first. California is also the one state where duct leakage is routinely tested: Title 24 requires a HERS-verified duct test on most furnace or air-conditioner changeouts, so a duct problem here often surfaces as a failed test rather than as a complaint.

Are the companies licensed and insured?

Yes. We only pass calls to licensed, insured operators working in California, and you are welcome to ask to see a license number on arrival.

What does Wildfire Smoke Cleanup cost?

It depends on the property, the size of the system and what the inspection finds, so we do not publish a price — a figure quoted on a web page is not one the attending company has agreed to. You get a price before any work starts.

Wildfire Smoke Cleanup near you

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