In depth
Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Brisbane: how the job actually runs.
A house fire in Brisbane leaves three separate problems behind, and they run on different clocks. The fire damage itself is obvious. The smoke and soot have spread well beyond the room that burnt, and the residue is corroding metal and staining surfaces from the moment the flames are out. And the water the fire crew used to stop it is now in the floors, walls and ceiling, starting the same 24 to 48 hour mould clock as any flood. Fire and smoke damage restoration means dealing with all three in the right order.
What fire and smoke damage restoration involves
Make-safe. Once the Queensland Fire Department has released the property, we secure it: board-up of broken windows and doors, temporary roof cover where needed, and a check of the electrical state and structural condition of ceilings and floors.
Firefighting water. This is handled first because it is the one part of the job that gets worse by the hour. Standing water is extracted, every wet surface is metered, and air movers and LGR dehumidifiers go in on day one. Ceilings and wall cavities that were hosed from outside are opened and dried.
Soot and residue removal. Every surface the smoke reached is assessed for residue type and cleaned accordingly — dry sponges for powdery soot, wet cleaning for greasy residue from plastics, specific agents for the film left by a cooking fire. Ductwork is cleaned because the air-conditioner has usually pulled smoke through it.
Odour removal. Odour is removed at the source: contaminated materials out, salvageable surfaces cleaned, porous surfaces that cannot be fully cleaned sealed. Then the air and cavities are treated with thermal fogging, ozone or hydroxyl generators.
Contents. Everything is inventoried and photographed. Salvageable items are packed out, cleaned and stored; the rest is listed for replacement with the reason recorded.
Scope and reinstatement. A room-by-room scope goes to you and the insurer, and we reinstate to the approved scope.
Why the water comes first
The IICRC S500 standard does not care what caused the water. Wet gyprock, insulation and timber start supporting mould within a day or two in Brisbane’s humidity whether the water came from a hose under the sink or a hose on a fire truck. A fire job that ignores the water for a week while the soot is cleaned becomes a fire, smoke and mould remediation job.
Firefighting water is also unusual in where it goes. It is applied from above and outside, so it fills ceiling cavities and runs down inside walls that were never touched by flame. Those cavities are opened, the wet insulation removed and the frame dried, with readings logged daily until the timber is back below 18 per cent moisture content. Five to ten days of drying is typical.
Soot types and how they are cleaned
| Residue | Source | Character | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry soot | Fast, hot fire of timber, paper | Powdery, sits on surface | Dry cleaning sponges, HEPA vacuum |
| Wet soot | Smouldering fire, plastics, foam | Greasy, smears when wiped | Wet cleaning with degreasing agents |
| Protein residue | Cooking fire | Near invisible, pungent | Specialised cleaners, full odour treatment |
| Fuel oil soot | Furnace, heater, vehicle in garage | Sticky, dark | Wet cleaning, often sealing after |
Using the wrong method drives the residue into the surface. A wet wipe across dry soot on a painted wall turns a cleanable wall into one that needs sealing and repainting.
The first hours after a fire
- Do not re-enter until QFD releases the property.
- Leave the power off until an electrician has checked it.
- Do not run the air-conditioner or fans. They spread soot through every duct and room.
- Do not wipe soot off walls or furniture. Wait for the assessment.
- Photograph each room from the doorway.
- Call your insurer and us. Restoration scope is usually needed before the insurer approves repairs.
- Retrieve essentials — medications, documents, valuables — wearing a P2 mask and gloves.
Fire and smoke jobs across Brisbane, Ipswich and Logan
Queenslanders in Paddington, New Farm and central Ipswich are timber-framed, timber-clad and timber-floored, and they burn fast. The upside is that hardwood cleans and deodorises far better than gyprock, and the open subfloor helps with drying. The risk is smoke in the roof space and VJ walls.
Brick-and-tile homes in Chermside, Carindale, Sunnybank and Springwood contain fire better but hold smoke and firefighting water in gyprock, insulation and carpet on slab — all of which need removal or extended drying.
Units and townhouses across the inner suburbs and Logan Central mean smoke and water in neighbouring properties and a body corporate in the loop.
Kitchen fires are the most common cause we see, followed by electrical faults, heaters and chargers, and garage fires involving fuel, batteries or vehicles.
Insurance and documentation
Fire is covered on every home and contents policy. The work is in the scope: the assessor needs a room-by-room account of structural damage, smoke spread and water damage, a full contents inventory with a clean-or-replace decision on each item, moisture logs, and photos of everything before it is cleaned or removed. We produce that package, and we can work directly with the insurer’s assessor and builder.
What fire and smoke damage restoration costs
Fire and smoke damage restoration runs from $5,000 for a contained kitchen fire with limited smoke spread to $50,000 and beyond for a room-and-roof fire with heavy firefighting water and whole-house smoke contamination. The drivers are the extent of the burn, how far the smoke travelled, the residue type, how much water was used, and the volume of contents. Extraction of firefighting water is $500 to $2,000, drying equipment $80 to $150 per unit per day, and contents pack-out $1,000 to $5,000. Call-out and assessment is $300 to $600.
If your home in Brisbane, Ipswich or Logan has had a fire, leave the soot alone, leave the power off, and call. The water needs to start drying today, and the rest follows in order.
Last updated 14 September 2026
