Fire Damage.
We Restore It.
Fire damage does not stop when the flames go out. Smoke continues penetrating materials for days. Soot is corrosive — it etches metal and glass within hours. Cantt Restoration responds immediately to stabilize, document, and begin the full restoration process.
What We Do
Full-Scope Fire & Smoke Restoration
Fire damage restoration is a multi-phase process. The fire is one event — but the damage from smoke, soot, and water used by first responders continues developing long after the flames are extinguished. At Cantt Restoration, we follow ANSI/IICRC S700 standards on every fire loss and coordinate every phase of recovery — from emergency stabilization through final structure and contents restoration — so nothing falls through the cracks on your claim.
Emergency Stabilization & Board-Up
Before any restoration work begins, the structure must be secured. We board up open windows and doors, tarp exposed roof sections, and stabilize any structural elements compromised by fire or suppression water — protecting the property from additional weather damage, theft, and unauthorized entry.
Suppression Water Extraction & Structural Drying
Fire suppression introduces large volumes of water into the structure. We extract standing water immediately and deploy commercial structural drying equipment following ANSI/IICRC S500 psychrometric protocols. Suppression water left unaddressed causes secondary mold damage that compounds your restoration scope.
Soot & Smoke Residue Removal
Soot is acidic — it permanently etches chrome and aluminum within hours and stains porous surfaces within days. We begin soot removal immediately on salvageable surfaces using dry chemical sponges, HEPA vacuuming, and appropriate cleaning agents based on residue type and substrate. Every surface type requires a different technique; using the wrong method permanently sets the damage.
Odor Elimination
Smoke odor penetrates deep into porous materials — wood framing, insulation, drywall, upholstery. Surface cleaning does not eliminate embedded smoke odor. We use thermal fogging, hydroxyl generators, and ozone treatment in unoccupied spaces to neutralize smoke molecules at the molecular level rather than masking the odor.
Contents Pack-Out & Restoration
Furniture, electronics, artwork, documents, clothing, and personal items are inventoried, carefully packed out, and processed at our facility. Content restoration — ultrasonic cleaning, ozone treatment, document drying, electronics recovery — is where the most value is recovered on a fire loss. We restore what insurance would otherwise total.
Controlled Demolition & Restoration
Structural materials that cannot be restored — heavily charred framing, saturated insulation, smoke-saturated drywall — are removed through controlled demolition. We coordinate with your insurance adjuster throughout this phase so scope changes are documented and approved before work proceeds.
Immediate Steps
What To Do After a Fire
Safety First — Do Not Re-Enter
Do not re-enter a fire-damaged structure until the fire department has cleared it as safe. Even after the fire is out, structural integrity may be compromised, air quality is hazardous due to carbon monoxide and toxic combustion byproducts, and electrical systems may be live with damaged insulation. If you do not feel safe, walk out and stay out. Call 911 first.
- 1 Call 911 if fire or smoke is still present. Do not attempt to re-enter or handle any suppression yourself. Let fire services clear the structure before anyone goes back in.
- 2 Video the damage before anything is touched. Walk every affected area with your phone recording before cleanup begins. Video provides a continuous timestamped record that is far more powerful than photographs alone when your adjuster reviews the initial loss documentation.
- 3 Do not discard any items. Items that appear destroyed may be restorable — and discarding them before insurance documentation is complete can cost you the claim value for those contents. Wait for our team to inventory and assess everything on-site.
- 4 Do not attempt to clean soot yourself. Improper cleaning — wiping, scrubbing, vacuuming with a household machine — drives soot deeper into porous surfaces and permanently sets staining that would otherwise be cleanable. Leave all surfaces in their current condition until our team assesses them.
- 5 Call Cantt Restoration at (903) 251-9525. We respond 24 hours a day and will be on-site immediately. Every hour the structure sits unsecured increases the damage from soot, weather, and secondary moisture.
Insurance & Documentation
How We Document It
Initial Loss Scope Report
We produce a written scope report documenting the fire origin point, affected areas, structural integrity assessment, and initial damage inventory. This document is the foundation of your insurance claim and goes to your adjuster as part of our first report package.
Photo & Video Evidence Package
Timestamped video walkthroughs and high-resolution photographs document every stage from initial conditions through soot removal, structural drying, demolition, and restoration completion. This package is compiled and delivered to your adjuster at every major phase milestone.
Contents Inventory & Restoration Log
Every affected item is inventoried with category, condition, and restoration status. Items that go to our facility are tracked from pack-out through cleaning and return. This inventory becomes the contents portion of your insurance claim — formatted for direct adjuster submission.
Suppression Water Drying Records
We document moisture readings at every monitoring location, every day, through final drying verification — following the same ANSI/IICRC S500 daily log standard that adjusters and engineers reference. These records demonstrate that secondary water damage was mitigated to protocol.
Why Cantt
Built Different. Independent.
Independent, Not Franchised
We are locally owned and operated out of Arp, TX. You speak directly to the crew doing the work — not a national call center dispatching a franchise team. Decisions are made here, not in a corporate office.
Insurance Experience From Both Sides
Our staff includes former insurance agents and adjusters. We know exactly what documentation an adjuster needs to pay a fire loss claim — because some of us used to be the adjusters reviewing those claims.
Standards-Driven on Every Job
We follow ANSI/IICRC S500, S520, and S700 standards on every job. Fire losses are complex — smoke migration, suppression water, structural compromise, and contents all require different protocols. We apply the right standard to each phase.
Content Restoration Changes the Claim
Most companies total contents and move on. We restore them — ultrasonic cleaning, ozone treatment, document recovery, electronics drying. Content restoration on a fire loss often recovers more claim value than the structural work. We treat it accordingly.
What Our Clients Say
Real Results
"Kitchen fire turned into a nightmare until Cantt showed up. They secured the house, packed out everything, and got our belongings back cleaner than before the fire. Our insurance got everything."Patricia M. — Tyler, TX — Fire & Smoke Restoration
"The smoke damage spread far beyond the room where the fire started. Cantt found it all — behind walls, in the ductwork, in closets we had no idea were affected. Their documentation made our claim straightforward."James T. — Longview, TX — Fire & Smoke Restoration
"They were on-site within the hour. Board-up was done the same night. The restoration process was thorough — they treated our furniture and personal items with as much care as the structure itself."Sandra L. — Lindale, TX — Fire & Smoke Restoration
Questions
Frequently Asked
Can smoke-damaged items really be restored?
Many items that appear destroyed can be fully restored with the correct process. Furniture, clothing, electronics, documents, artwork, and ceramics frequently survive fire losses in restorable condition. The window for successful restoration closes quickly — soot is corrosive and smoke odor sets permanently in porous materials over time. Calling us immediately gives the best chance for content recovery. We evaluate every item on-site before writing anything off.
How long does fire restoration take?
Timeline depends on the scope of structural damage, whether suppression water is involved, the extent of smoke migration, and the volume of contents requiring restoration. A small kitchen fire with limited spread may take 2-4 weeks. A major structural loss involving multiple rooms may take months. We do not give timelines over the phone — we assess on-site, develop a documented restoration plan, and keep you and your adjuster informed of progress at every phase.
Do you give estimates over the phone?
We do not give estimates. Fire loss scope — smoke migration, structural damage, suppression water, contents condition — cannot be assessed without an on-site inspection. Call us at (903) 251-9525 and we will be there within the hour.
Do you work directly with insurance companies?
Yes. We prepare complete documentation packages — initial scope reports, phase-by-phase photo and video evidence, moisture drying logs, and full contents inventories — formatted for direct submission to your adjuster. Our team includes former insurance agents and adjusters who understand the fire claims process from the inside.
Fire Does Not Wait.
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are on-site within the hour.
(903) 251-9525