Owner-operated · Zach Dullinger Minneapolis (612) 845-7822
911 Restoration of Minneapolis

Minneapolis Local

Fire Damage Restoration in Minneapolis

FSRT-certified crews, 45-minute response, and direct insurance coordination from the first call.

(612) 845-7822 Get an estimate 4.8 from 124 Google reviews
Fire Damage Restoration in Minneapolis

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“Fantastic service. We spotted the water problem (coming through our light fixture!) …”
Stephanie a. · Google review
  • 45 minTypical arrival
  • IICRCCertified technicians
  • 20+ yrsAcross the metro
  • ClaimsInsurance paperwork handled

Minneapolis Fire Damage Restoration That Goes Beyond Cleanup

Fire damage restoration in Minneapolis is what 911 Restoration of Minneapolis has handled for over 20 years, covering everything from a contained kitchen fire in a North Loop condo to a full-structure loss in the west metro. If the fire department has released your property, call (612) 845-7822 and we'll dispatch a crew. Typical arrival is 45 minutes across the north and west metro. The first hours after a fire are when the most preventable secondary damage happens: acidic soot etches metal and glass within days, firefighting water soaks into subfloors, and a structure left open in a Minnesota winter can freeze before cleanup even starts. Getting a certified team on-site fast isn't a sales pitch. It's what limits how much of the home you lose.

The scope of a fire loss depends on what burned, how far smoke traveled through ductwork and wall cavities, and how much water the suppression effort left behind. Protein residue from a kitchen fire cleans differently from dry soot off paper or wood, and synthetic materials leave an oily film that smears and sets if handled wrong. Our FSRT (Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration Technician) and OCT (Odor Control Technician) certified crews test surfaces before touching them and build a room-by-room scope your insurance adjuster can work from. For properties that also took on water, we coordinate water damage treatment under the same job so you're not managing two contractors. Every job is different -- contact 911 Restoration of Minneapolis for an accurate estimate.

What Makes Fire Damage Harder in Minneapolis

Three local conditions that compound a fire loss before restoration crews arrive.

Heating Season Fires

Furnaces, chimneys, fireplaces, and space heaters work hardest in a Minnesota winter. A fire that starts in a sealed house during heating season pushes smoke through ductwork and wall cavities well beyond the room where it began. We've walked properties where the attic registered heavy soot contamination from a basement furnace fire.

Smoke in Closed-Up Homes

Windows stay shut for months, so smoke settles into drywall, insulation, upholstery, and clothing with nowhere to escape. Acidic soot can etch metal fixtures and window glass within 48 to 72 hours. That's why surface cleaning starts as early as the first day on site, not after the structure is dried.

Firefighting Water in Freezing Weather

Water used to extinguish a fire soaks floors and ceilings. In sub-freezing temperatures it can freeze inside wall cavities or leave the structure open to the cold. Securing the building and extracting standing water within the first hours protects what the fire didn't destroy. Our ASD-certified technicians handle structural drying alongside fire cleanup.

Freeze-Thaw Risk to Damaged Structures

A fire that compromises a roof or exterior wall leaves the building exposed to Minnesota's freeze-thaw cycles. Moisture that enters an open structure can refreeze, expand, and push apart framing that survived the fire itself. Boarding and tarping the same day isn't optional in this climate.

Our Process

How We Handle Fire Damage Restoration Step by Step

  1. Secure, Extract, Document

    Once the fire department releases the property, we board openings, tarp the roof, and extract standing water from firefighting. We photograph and document the structure for your insurance adjuster before anything is moved or cleaned.

  2. Test, Scope, and Clean

    We identify soot type on every surface -- protein, dry, or synthetic -- because each requires a different chemistry. Air scrubbers run during cleaning. Thermal imaging locates moisture pockets in walls and ceilings that a visual inspection misses. We write the room-by-room scope while we work.

  3. Dry, Deodorize, and Rebuild

    Structural drying follows IICRC S500 standards. Odor treatment uses hydroxyl generation and thermal fogging after all soot sources are removed -- not before, because masking odor over a contaminated surface doesn't work. Reconstruction through our own crews means you don't start over with a second contractor.

Warning Signs

Signs You Need Fire Damage Restoration and What To Do First

Stay out until the fire department says the building is safe. Do not turn on the heating system or ceiling fans -- they spread soot further into ductwork and every open room. Do not wipe soot with household cleaners; the wrong chemistry sets the stain permanently. Take photos, call your insurance carrier, and call (612) 845-7822 so we can secure the property and start the cleanup. If there's any sign of standing water in the basement or lower floors from firefighting, a sewage or water intrusion assessment runs alongside the fire scope.
  • Visible soot on walls, ceilings, or window sills after any fire, even a small kitchen fire
  • Smoke odor that lingers in closets, carpets, or ductwork
  • Wet ceilings, floors, or a flooded basement after firefighting
  • Discolored grout, fixtures, or appliances
  • Broken windows, doors, or roof sections that leave the house open
  • A musty smell in the days after the fire, which points to hidden moisture and the start of mold growth
heating season fires work, professional service in Minneapolis, MN

What We Restore After a Fire

One crew handles the full scope so nothing falls between contractors.

Structural Components

Walls, ceilings, framing, subfloors, attics, and insulation. We assess what can be cleaned and what needs to come out, and we don't guess -- we test.

Mechanical Systems

HVAC systems and ductwork carry soot to every room in the house. We clean and deodorize duct interiors before the system runs again. Running a smoke-contaminated HVAC poisons the air in every room it serves.

Contents and Belongings

Furniture, clothing, textiles, electronics, and documents. Contents that can be restored are inventoried and treated. Items beyond recovery are documented for your adjuster's contents claim. We don't throw anything away without your sign-off.

Kitchens and Cabinets

Kitchen fires generate protein residue that produces an almost invisible but acrid film on every surface nearby. Standard soot cleaning methods don't cut it. We use enzymatic treatments on protein residue and won't pass a cabinet as clean until it tests clear.

Insurance

Direct Insurance Coordination on Every Fire Loss

We provide Direct Insurance Coordination on every fire loss -- photos, a written scope of work, a contents inventory, and communication with your adjuster on your behalf. Most homeowners have never filed a fire claim before and don't know what documentation an adjuster requires or what a policy typically covers for structure, contents, and additional living expenses. We've done this with enough carriers in the Twin Cities to know how to build a file that moves. Coverage limits vary by policy, so confirm yours with your carrier early. What we can tell you is that having a complete, professional scope on file from day one prevents delays and disputes later. We serve Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Brooklyn Park, Minnetonka, Champlin, Blaine, Andover, and Saint Paul in addition to Minneapolis -- reach us at (612) 845-7822 for any property in the metro.
fire damage work, professional service in Minneapolis, MN

Why Choose Us

Certifications and Response That Back the Work

4.8 stars across 124 Google reviews. Owner Zach Dullinger on every significant job.

We don't subcontract the restoration work to a third-party crew. The people who show up are IICRC-certified, and the specific certifications matter for fire: FSRT (Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration Technician) means the crew understands soot chemistry and documentation standards specific to fire losses. OCT (Odor Control Technician) means odor treatment is an actual methodology, not a spray. ASD (Applied Structural Drying) means the water from firefighting gets dried to measured standards, not dried until it feels dry. For properties that sustained both fire and secondary water damage, we handle reconstruction through our own crews so you don't start over with a new contractor at the end.
FSRT certified
Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration Technician
OCT certified
Odor Control Technician on every fire loss
ASD certified
Applied Structural Drying prevents secondary mold
20+ years
Fire and smoke losses across the Twin Cities
smoke in closed up homes work, professional service in Minneapolis, MN

Fire Damage Restoration: Common Questions

Question not on the list?

Ask Zach directly. No call center, no script.

(612) 845-7822
What does a fire restoration company do in the first 24 hours?
The first 24 hours are about stopping the loss from getting worse. We board broken windows and doors, tarp any roof penetrations, and extract standing water from fire suppression before it soaks deeper into subfloors or freezes in Minnesota winter conditions. Then we document -- photos, moisture readings, thermal imaging -- and start soot assessment room by room. Cleaning doesn't start until we've identified the soot type on each surface, because the wrong approach on protein residue or synthetic soot makes the damage worse, not better.
Can fire damage cause mold, and how do you prevent it?
It can, and faster than most people expect. Firefighting water saturates floors, walls, and ceilings. Left untreated, that moisture creates the conditions for mold growth within 24 to 72 hours -- sometimes sooner in Minnesota's humid summers. Our ASD-certified technicians run structural drying equipment alongside fire cleanup, measuring moisture content in building materials until they reach documented dry standards. If mold does establish before we can treat the moisture, our mold remediation team handles it under the same project.
What's the difference between fire remediation and restoration?
Remediation is removing the damage: extracting water, cleaning soot, deodorizing, tearing out materials that can't be saved. Restoration is putting the structure back: framing, drywall, flooring, cabinetry, paint. Some contractors stop at remediation and hand the job to a separate rebuild crew. We carry the project through both phases with our own reconstruction services, which means one point of contact, one timeline, and no gap between who finished demolition and who starts the rebuild.
How long does fire damage restoration take?
A contained kitchen fire with limited smoke spread might take three to five days of cleaning and drying. A fire that moved through multiple rooms, ran smoke through the HVAC, and left structural damage can take several weeks to remediate and months to fully reconstruct. The honest answer is that timeline depends on what burned, how far smoke traveled, how much water was used, and what the structural assessment finds. We write a scope with a projected timeline after the initial inspection and update you as the job progresses.
Will my homeowner's insurance cover fire damage restoration?
Most standard homeowner policies cover fire damage to the structure and contents, and many include additional living expenses if the home is uninhabitable during restoration. What's covered, and at what limit, depends on your specific policy. Confirm your limits with your carrier early. We provide Direct Insurance Coordination -- a written scope, contents inventory, and direct communication with your adjuster -- so the file is complete and the claim moves without unnecessary back-and-forth.
Why does protein residue from a kitchen fire require different cleaning than soot from a wood fire?
Protein residue -- from burning food, grease, or organic material -- leaves a nearly invisible oily film that standard dry-soot cleaning methods smear rather than remove. It's also the source of persistent odor even after a surface looks clean. Dry soot from wood or paper is powdery and responds to dry-cleaning sponges and HEPA vacuuming. Synthetic materials leave a third type: a dark, sticky residue that smears badly if handled wrong. Our FSRT-certified technicians test surfaces before cleaning to identify which type they're working with.
Why does soot type matter for cleaning fire-damaged surfaces?
Protein residue from kitchen fires leaves a nearly invisible oily film that standard dry-soot methods smear rather than remove. Dry soot from wood or paper is powdery and responds to dry-cleaning sponges and HEPA vacuuming. Synthetic materials leave a dark, sticky residue that sets if handled wrong. Our FSRT-certified technicians test surfaces before touching them to identify which type they're working with on every room.

In the field

A look at our work

firefighting water in freezing weather work, professional service in Minneapolis, MN

Call Zach's Line When the Fire Department Clears Your Property

You'll know what's happening, what comes next, and when things return to normal -- from the first call to the last day of reconstruction.

4.8 124 Google reviews

Call (612) 845-7822 Request an estimate

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By submitting this form you agree that we may contact you about your request and share your name and email address with partner companies for email marketing. We never share your mobile number or text message consent with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.