Unfortunately for North Bay residents, thousands are being forced to flee from their homes with little to no time to make any plans or take anything with them. Although fire fighters and other first responders are giving their all to protect our communities, it is incredibly saddening and frustrating to once again be at the mercy of large, complex fires. It will be difficult to think about anything else but the day or night you had to leave everything behind, but at some point, decisions must be made about what to do next and how to get back to normal.

First and foremost, it is vital you wait for firefighters to declare your neighborhood safe to re-enter. As much as you may to see your home with your own eyes, you must understand that structures and even the air may be unsafe for you to be in and around. Inhaling smoke, ash, and soot can cause short-term respiratory issues and are corrosive enough to cause standing structures to become insecure. When you can re-enter, do not bring young children or pets and wear protective gear such as gloves, closed-toed shoes, and masks. Secondly, contact your insurance company and open a claim so you can learn what you need to do to establish the value of your home and belongings, how immediately can you stay at a hotel or move into a temporary residence, and if you can begin the restoration process.

Once you can begin the restoration process let Dry Kings know what is the first day we can be on site and yes, you can be there with us. We will provide you with safety gear if you need it.

If you lost a part of your home, we immediately begin by inspecting and shoring up the remaining structure for stability, closing off access to unsafe areas, boarding up any holes, walls and windows, and tarping your roof. Given the toxicity of smoke, ash, and soot cleaning up, deodorizing, and preventing microbial growth in your home will be our priority. Our expert crew will set up air filtration devices, perform corrosion mitigation, sort through salvageable and unsalvageable items, collect and haul debris, and in general clean and sanitize the affected areas down to the framing so that contaminated particulates do not spread throughout your house. If there is water damage to the remaining structure, we will also setup drying equipment to prevent mold growth. With proper fire and smoke damage restoration, your home will be deodorized, sanitized, and safe to live in again.

If you lost your entire home, Dry Kings would be your general contractor overseeing hazardous materials and debris clean-up and foundation excavation. Before your home can be re-built, an environmental engineer must test debris, the foundation, and the dirt for hazardous contaminants such as asbestos. If no hazardous materials are found, then debris removal can begin. We will follow the clean-up protocol as dictated by the City and/or County. In general, be prepared for and patient with the re-building process. It does take time.

Dry Kings Restoration is prepared to prioritize any victims of the wildfires. Do not hesitate to contact us if you are unsure how to begin restoring your home back to normal.