After a fire, you’re dealing with more than what burned – soot on hidden surfaces, smoke soaked into walls and HVAC, and water damage from suppression. Finch Packout and Restoration of San Diego handles it all, from boarding up to full reconstruction. Free on-site walkthrough with a real estimate – not a guess. Full insurance documentation so you’re not fighting for coverage alone. Call 877-772-2568.
At Finch Packouts & Restoration, we understand the emotional and physical toll that fire damage can cause. As a dedicated fire damage restoration company, we are here to help you navigate through the difficult recovery process with professionalism, compassion, and expertise.
Residential Fire Damage Restoration
Even a small house fire leaves behind layers of damage that aren’t obvious at first glance. Soot travels through ductwork, smoke odor bonds to fabrics and drywall, and the water used to put it out creates its own set of problems. Our residential fire restoration services cover all of it – not just the visible stuff. Here are the most common fire scenarios we respond to in local homes:
We are here to help our customers recover from fire damage and provide them with the support and compassion they need through such challenging circumstances.
6 Steps in Our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Process
1
Call Us Anytime
Reach out by phone, text, or the form on this page. We’ll talk through what happened, look at any photos you can share, and give you an idea of what to expect before we even show up.
2
Damage Assessment
We walk the property with you, document the fire, smoke, and water damage, and build a detailed scope of work. You’ll know exactly what needs to happen and why before anything starts.
3
Cleanup & Restoration
Our crew gets to work – removing debris and charred materials, cleaning soot from every surface, treating smoke odor at the source, and drying out any water damage from suppression efforts. We bring the equipment, you don’t need to arrange anything.
4
Final Walkthrough
Once the job is done, we walk the property together. If anything doesn’t meet your expectations, we address it right there. You sign off when you’re satisfied – not before.
Estimated Fire Damage Incidents
Commercial Fire Damage Cleanup
A fire in a commercial space doesn’t just damage the building – it shuts down your operation. Revenue stops, employees can’t work, and customers go elsewhere. Whether it’s a restaurant kitchen fire in the Gaslamp, an electrical issue in a Mission Valley office, or smoke damage at a retail location in Kearny Mesa, the longer your doors stay closed, the harder the recovery. You need a fire restoration company near you that moves fast.
Finch Packout and Restoration of San Diego responds to commercial fire emergencies around the clock. From emergency fire removal and debris clearing to full smoke remediation, we work fast, coordinate with your insurance from day one, and schedule around your business hours whenever possible. Our commercial crews restore all types of properties across the county:
Grease fire got out of hand on the stove in our Normal Heights kitchen. Fire department came, put it out, but between the flames and the hose water, kitchen was destroyed and smoke went through the whole first floor. Called Finch the next morning. They boarded the kitchen window, tarped the openings, and started soot cleanup that same day. Pulled out cabinets, stripped walls down to studs where needed. The smoke smell was in rooms the fire never touched – they treated walls, ceilings, ducts, even inside closets. Brought in their water damage crew for the hose damage on the floors. Four weeks later, new kitchen, fresh paint, no smell. Insurance coordination was seamless. Honestly don’t know what we would’ve done without them.
Jennifer & Mike R., Normal Heights, CA
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Dryer Vent Fire
Dryer caught fire from lint buildup. Small fire, but smoke filled the laundry room and hallway. Finch cleaned soot off walls and ceiling, treated the smell. Done in three days. Clean work.
Carlos M., San Diego, CA
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Electrical Panel Fire – Hillcrest
Electrical panel in our 1940s Hillcrest bungalow sparked and caught the wall on fire. Thank God the neighbor saw smoke and called 911 while we were at work. Fire was contained to the utility closet and hallway, but smoke went through the entire house – attic included. Finch showed up the next day, walked us through it room by room. They removed all the charred framing, cleaned soot from every surface including inside the attic space, and ran ozone treatment for the odor. Spent extra time on our original wood trim to save as much as possible instead of just ripping it all out. Project manager handled all the insurance paperwork and kept us posted with photos every couple days. Six weeks from start to finish and the house looks better than before. Old wiring in these Hillcrest homes is no joke – grateful these guys knew how to handle it.
Patricia L., Hillcrest, CA
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Candle Fire – Bedroom
Candle tipped over on the nightstand, burned the curtains and scorched the wall. Smoke smell lingered for days. Finch cleaned it, sealed and repainted the wall, replaced carpet. Quick turnaround.
David & Susan K., San Diego, CA
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Garage Workshop Fire – Clairemont
Was using a grinder in the garage workshop in Clairemont, sparks hit some rags I forgot to move. Fire burned through half the garage before I got the extinguisher on it. Smoke damage reached into the house through the interior door. Finch came out next day, assessed the structural damage in the garage and the smoke infiltration through the house. Cleared out all the burnt materials, cleaned soot off the garage walls and ceiling, sealed and treated the house side for odor. They even helped us figure out which tools and equipment were salvageable vs. write-offs for insurance. Rebuilt the damaged garage wall, new drywall, fresh paint. Three weeks and it was like it never happened. Really professional crew.
Robert & Lisa T., Clairemont, CA
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Microwave Fire – Smoke Only
Microwave caught fire, no real structural damage but the smoke smell was unbearable. Finch cleaned kitchen surfaces, treated HVAC ducts, ran air scrubbers. Smell was gone in two days. Worth it.
Michelle W., San Diego, CA
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Space Heater Fire – Pacific Beach Condo
Space heater in our Pacific Beach condo tipped against the curtain one night. Woke up to smoke alarm, got out, fire department handled the rest. Bedroom was charred, smoke damage in the living room and kitchen. Finch was there the morning after. They secured the unit, documented all the damage for our insurance claim, and started debris removal that week. Soot cleanup was meticulous – they wiped down places I wouldn’t have thought of, inside light fixtures, on top of door frames, inside the medicine cabinet. Odor treatment took a few rounds but they stuck with it until the smell was completely gone. Rebuilt the bedroom, new flooring throughout. Coordinated with the HOA on the shared wall repair. About five weeks total. The condo association was actually impressed with how organized they were. Can’t recommend them enough.
Amanda & James P., Pacific Beach, CA
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Outlet Spark Fire
Old outlet sparked and burned part of the living room wall. Small fire but soot traveled. Finch cleaned it, cut out damaged drywall, patched and painted. Done in four days. Solid.
Brian H., San Diego, CA
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Brush Fire Smoke Damage – Tierrasanta
Brush fire in the canyon behind our Tierrasanta property didn’t reach the house, but the smoke exposure was intense for two days straight. Ash coating on everything outside, and the smell got deep into the house – furniture, carpet, clothes, HVAC system. Finch did a full interior smoke treatment. Cleaned ductwork, ran commercial air scrubbers for several days, treated soft furnishings, and cleaned exterior surfaces. Their pack-out team took clothing and drapes to their facility for professional cleaning. Two weeks and the house smelled normal again. Living near open space around here means brush fire season is real – glad we found a crew that knows how to handle smoke without actual structural fire damage.
Daniel & Maria S., Tierrasanta, CA
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Stovetop Flare-Up
Oil flare-up on the stove, fire extinguisher handled it but powder and soot covered the kitchen. Finch cleaned the extinguisher residue and smoke damage. Kitchen usable again in two days.
Sarah K., San Diego, CA
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Furnace Malfunction – Allied Gardens
Old furnace in our Allied Gardens house backfired and caught the surrounding framing on fire. Smelled something burning around midnight, found flames in the utility closet. Fire department put it out but the whole house filled with smoke. Finch came the next morning. They removed all the burnt framing and insulation, cleaned heavy soot from the hallway and adjacent rooms, and sealed off the rest of the house to contain the dust during demo. Smoke odor treatment took about a week of running scrubbers and ozone machines. They worked with the HVAC company to make sure the new furnace area was properly rebuilt. Also handled the water damage from the fire hose in the hallway. Five weeks, house completely restored. Communication was great the whole time – never had to chase anyone down for an update.
Thomas & Rachel G., Allied Gardens, CA
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Smoke Damage – Neighbor’s Fire
Neighbor’s house fire sent smoke into our place through shared attic space. No fire on our side, just heavy smoke smell. Finch treated walls, cleaned ducts, ran scrubbers. Smell gone in about a week. Good response time.
Kevin W., San Diego, CA
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Christmas Tree Fire – Bay Park
Dried-out Christmas tree caught fire from the outlet strip in our Bay Park living room. Burned fast – took out the tree, presents, part of the ceiling, and melted the TV. Fire department stopped it from spreading to the rest of the house but the smoke went through every room. Finch was out the day after Christmas. They removed the charred materials, cleaned heavy soot off walls and ceilings in every room, and found mold starting behind the wet drywall where the hoses hit. Treated the mold, dried the water damage, and rebuilt the living room ceiling and wall. The smoke odor was intense but they ran treatment for about ten days until it was gone. Helped us catalog destroyed items for insurance. Seven weeks total, house looks brand new. Terrible way to spend the holidays but Finch made the recovery as painless as possible.
Christopher & Nicole L., Bay Park, CA
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Charger Fire on Nightstand
Phone charger caught fire on the nightstand overnight. Burned the nightstand, scorched the wall, melted the lamp. Smoke smell in the bedroom. Finch cleaned soot, sealed the wall, repainted. Done in three days.
Laura F., San Diego, CA
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Attic Wiring Fire – North Park
Knob-and-tube wiring in our 1920s North Park house finally gave out – fire started in the attic and burned through part of the roof before the fire department got it under control. Massive water damage from the hoses soaked through the second floor ceiling into the rooms below. Finch took on the whole thing. Fire debris removal, structural assessment, soot and smoke treatment through the entire house, plus full water damage restoration on both floors. Their pack-out team inventoried and removed our furniture and belongings so the crew had full access. Project took about eight weeks, but they kept us updated constantly – weekly calls, photo reports, always available when we had questions. House is fully rebuilt now with proper wiring. Having one company handle fire, water, and pack-out made a nightmare situation manageable. These guys really know older homes in this area.
Steven & Emily M., North Park, CA
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BBQ Grill Fire – Patio
Gas grill flared up on the patio, scorched the stucco and melted the sliding door frame. Smoke got inside through the open window. Finch cleaned the smoke damage inside and repaired the exterior. Quick, clean work.
Jessica R., San Diego, CA
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Restaurant Kitchen Fire – Gaslamp Quarter
Hood exhaust caught fire at our restaurant in the Gaslamp. Fire suppression system kicked in, put the fire out fast, but between the chemical residue, smoke, and water from the system, the kitchen was out of commission. Dining room had heavy smoke smell too. Finch came out same night. Next morning they started cleaning the suppression chemical off every surface, stripped the smoke-damaged ceiling tiles, cleaned the duct system, and brought in industrial dehumidifiers for the water. They worked after midnight every night so we could reopen the dining room during the day while kitchen was still being restored. Got us fully operational in two and a half weeks instead of the six we were expecting. They understood that every day closed was money lost and they moved accordingly. Saved our business during peak season.
Paul & Victoria D., Gaslamp Quarter, CA
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Fireplace Chimney Fire
Creosote buildup in chimney caught fire, smoke backed into the living room. Minor structural damage but heavy soot. Finch cleaned the mantle, walls, and ran ozone treatment. Recommended chimney sweep schedule going forward. Clean in five days.
Angela T., San Diego, CA
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Office Electrical Fire – Mission Valley
Power strip under a desk in our Mission Valley office overloaded and caught fire on a Friday night. Security caught it early, but smoke filled the whole floor – 4,000 square feet of cubicles, a conference room, and the server closet. Finch had a crew here Saturday morning. They assessed the fire damage in the one office, then focused on the smoke exposure across the floor. Cleaned every desk surface, wiped down monitors and equipment, treated the HVAC system, replaced ceiling tiles, and ran air scrubbers all weekend. Monday morning our staff walked into a clean office. IT equipment was all functional, no ongoing smell. Finch worked with our property management company and our insurance carrier directly. Never missed a beat. This is the kind of fire restoration company near me I’d want on speed dial.
Richard B., Mission Valley, CA
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Wildfire Ash and Smoke Exposure
Wildfire smoke blanketed our area for days. Ash everywhere, smell soaked into the house. Finch cleaned exterior ash, treated interior air quality, cleaned ducts. Took about a week to fully clear the smell. Thorough job.
Nancy W., San Diego, CA
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Bathroom Vent Fan Fire – Ocean Beach
Bathroom exhaust fan overheated and caught fire in our Ocean Beach place – old wiring, hadn’t been replaced since the house was built in the ’60s. Small fire but it burned through the ceiling into the attic and filled the house with acrid smoke. Finch was there the next morning. Removed the burnt ceiling section and attic insulation around the fan, cleaned heavy soot throughout the bathroom and hallway, and did a full smoke odor treatment that took about a week of ozone and air scrubbers running. They were careful with our original tile work in the bathroom, cleaned it by hand instead of just tearing it out. New ceiling, new insulation, new vent fan properly wired. Also checked all the other old vent fans in the house and flagged two more that were potential hazards. About four weeks total. These guys take their time where it matters and move fast where it counts. Would call them again without hesitation.
