Fire Damage Cleaning Services Inver Grove Heights, MN
Char, debris, and water from suppression have to come out before anyone rebuilds. Patriot Building Solutions handles the structural cleanup after a fire, residential and commercial, making the space safe and clean enough for the restoration contractors. Marine Corps discipline, across the Inver Grove Heights area.
First Comes the Cleanup
A fire leaves a job that has to be done in order. Before any contractor frames a wall or hangs new drywall, the structure has to be cleaned: char scrubbed off framing, debris hauled out, water from the fire hoses extracted, wall cavities and subfloors decontaminated, and the whole space deodorized and cleared. Skip the cleanup, rebuild over hidden soot and moisture, and you seal the problem inside the new walls where it corrodes, smells, and grows mold for years. Fire damage cleaning is the unglamorous, foundational phase that decides whether the rebuild holds.
Time is the enemy. Soot turns acidic and begins etching metal, glass, grout, and finishes within days. Firefighting water keeps wicking into framing and subfloor every hour it sits, and in a Minnesota winter that standing water can freeze and crack pipes before morning. The longer the structure sits uncleaned, the more of the building you lose to secondary damage that was preventable. We respond fast, stabilize the structure, extract the water, and stop that clock before it adds to the loss.
Patriot Building Solutions is a veteran-owned restoration and cleaning company based in Inver Grove Heights. Owner Israel Martinez holds HAZMAT, First Responder, and Six Sigma certifications, and our crews train to IICRC S700 fire and smoke protocols. We handle both residential and commercial fire cleaning and coordinate with fire marshals, adjusters, and rebuild contractors from the first call. Pair this structural work with our smoke restoration services for odor and soot, or call (651) 412-3830 day or night.
Stabilize first. Always.
A clean handoff to the rebuild crew
We secure the structure, pull the water, strip the char, and decontaminate the cavities, then hand the rebuild contractor a documented, clean space to work in.
What We Do After a Fire Loss
Emergency Board-Up
Windows broken during firefighting, doors forced by fire crews, and roof breaches from ventilation cuts all have to be sealed before cleaning begins. We board up openings, tarp roofs, and secure the property against weather and unauthorized entry. We coordinate the board-up so the structure is protected the same day the scene clears.
Char Removal
Charred surfaces on framing, subfloor, concrete, and masonry have to be physically removed, not painted over. We strip char from structural surfaces with abrasive cleaning, soda blasting where appropriate, and mechanical removal, taking the burned layer back to sound material the rebuild crew can frame and finish over.
Water Extraction
Fire hose water and sprinkler discharge saturate everything. We run water extraction, structural drying with commercial air movers and dehumidifiers, and temporary heat in winter. Done as a parallel operation to the soot and debris work, this stops a fire loss from becoming a freeze or mold loss weeks later.
Debris Removal
Destroyed contents, burned building materials, and demolition debris are sorted, documented for the claim, and hauled to proper disposal. Fire debris often includes hazardous materials, melted synthetics, and contaminated insulation that require correct handling. We clear the space down to the materials worth keeping.
Cavity Decontamination
Smoke and soot drive into wall cavities, subfloors, and ceiling spaces the eye never sees. Rebuilding over contaminated cavities traps odor and corrosion behind the new finishes. We open, clean, and decontaminate affected cavities and subfloors so the rebuild starts from clean structure, not hidden contamination.
Clearance Documentation
When the cleaning is complete, the rebuild contractor and the adjuster both need proof the space is ready. We produce clearance documentation: photos, affected-area records, and a written scope of completed work, so the reconstruction phase starts on solid, defensible footing and the claim keeps moving.
The Order the Work Happens
Secure and stabilize. The moment the fire marshal releases the property, we board up openings, tarp the roof, and shut down the secondary-damage risks. Anything left open to weather, theft, or freeze keeps adding to the loss. Stabilization is the first hour’s work, not an afterthought.
Extract and dry. Firefighting water comes out next, in parallel with the soot work, because every hour it sits soaks deeper into framing and subfloor. Commercial air movers, dehumidifiers, and temporary winter heat dry the structure to documented moisture targets before anything gets sealed back up.
Triage and pack-out. Contents are inventoried and triaged: what is destroyed gets documented and removed, what is salvageable gets cleaned in place or packed out for restoration. Honest triage protects your belongings and builds a content manifest the adjuster can rely on without disputes.
Strip, decontaminate, clear. Char comes off structural surfaces, debris gets hauled, wall cavities and subfloors are decontaminated, and the space is deodorized. When clearance documentation is complete, we hand a clean, dry, documented structure to the rebuild contractor. For the odor and soot side of the work, see our smoke restoration services.
We do not chase complaints. We check in before they happen. That is how a cleaning company keeps 99.5 percent of its clients for three years running.
Israel, Founder & Marine Corps VeteranProperties We Clean After a Fire
- Single-family homes: kitchen, electrical, space-heater, and chimney fires, with full structural cleanup and rebuild prep
- Apartments & multi-family: unit and common-area fire cleaning with tenant coordination and property-manager documentation
- Offices & retail: structural cleaning sequenced around business continuity so you reopen as fast as the rebuild allows
- Restaurants & food service: grease-fire cleanup, hood and kitchen decontamination, health-code-conscious clearance
- Warehouses & industrial: large-volume debris removal, structural char stripping, and high-bay decontamination
- Dealerships & commercial buildings: coordinated cleanup with adjusters and rebuild contractors on high-value losses
- Insurance claim support: itemized scopes, photo documentation, and clearance records on every job, residential or commercial
No two fire losses are the same, and the cleanup scope has to match the structure, the fire type, and the rebuild plan. Contact us for a fire-cleaning assessment, or call any time. We respond day or night.
Fire Damage Cleaning FAQs
How soon after a fire can cleaning start?
Cleaning starts as soon as the fire department clears the scene and the fire marshal releases the property. That is usually within 24 to 48 hours. Speed matters more than people expect. Soot becomes acidic and starts etching metal, glass, and finishes within days, and firefighting water keeps soaking into framing and subfloor the whole time. We respond fast to board up the structure, extract water, and stop the secondary damage clock before it costs you more of the building.
What is the difference between fire cleaning and restoration?
Fire damage cleaning is the cleanup and stabilization phase: char removal, debris hauling, water extraction, deodorization, decontamination of wall cavities and subfloors, and making the space safe and clean enough for rebuild. Restoration, or reconstruction, is the rebuild itself, replacing framing, drywall, flooring, and finishes. Cleaning has to come first and has to be done right, because rebuilding over hidden soot, moisture, or odor traps the problem inside the walls. We handle the cleaning and clearance, then hand a clean, documented space to the rebuild contractor.
Do you handle water damage from suppression?
Yes. Firefighting hoses and sprinkler discharge dump hundreds or thousands of gallons into a structure, and that water saturates flooring, framing, insulation, and ceiling cavities. In a Minnesota winter it can freeze within hours and crack pipes. We run water extraction, structural drying, and temporary heat as a parallel operation alongside the soot and debris work, so a fire loss does not turn into a mold or freeze loss two weeks later.
Will cleaning help with my insurance claim?
It is central to it. We photograph the damage, document the affected areas and contamination levels, build an itemized scope of work, and produce clearance documentation the rebuild contractor and the adjuster both need. Standard Minnesota property policies cover fire damage, including the water damage from firefighting. We communicate directly with your carrier’s field adjuster and size every manifest to adjuster expectations so the claim keeps moving and nothing gets disputed for lack of evidence.
What areas do you serve?
We are based in Inver Grove Heights and respond across the Inver Grove Heights area: Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Eagan, Lakeville, Bloomington, Edina, Woodbury, Maple Grove, Blaine, Burnsville, Apple Valley, and the surrounding suburbs. We handle both residential and commercial fire cleaning, from single-family homes to offices, retail, restaurants, and apartment buildings. Call (651) 412-3830 to confirm coverage for your address.
Ready to Clean. Ready to Rebuild.
The faster the structure is stabilized and cleaned, the less you lose to secondary damage. Call Patriot Building Solutions the moment the fire marshal clears the scene and get a veteran-owned Inver Grove Heights crew on the cleanup.
Patriot Building Solutions provides fire damage cleaning services across the Inver Grove Heights area. Based in Inver Grove Heights, MN. Related services: smoke restoration, water damage restoration, storm damage restoration, mold remediation, commercial restoration. View our project gallery or contact us for a free consultation.