The Fire & Smoke Damage Assessment & Pack-Out SOP

This SOP gives a new technician a complete, executable procedure for a fire and smoke loss — from the first safety check through final deodorization and sign-off. It is built around IICRC S700, the professional standard for fire and smoke damage restoration (IICRC), and it assumes the water side of the loss (from fire suppression) is already being handled under your water mitigation procedure.

Fire work is different from water work in one defining way: the residue is not uniform. The same structure can hold greasy protein residue in the kitchen, sticky wet smoke in a den full of melted plastics, and dry powdery soot in a paper-fueled room — and each demands a different cleaning approach. Get the categorization wrong and you smear soot into surfaces or set odor permanently.

Used correctly, this document is a printable training tool: a lead can hand it to a new hire and have them execute each step with a defined check and escalation trigger. Number the steps run continuously, 1 through 24, across all seven phases. If you are new to the terms below (S700, ACV, supplement), keep our insurance glossary and certifications guide open alongside it.

Prerequisites

• The fire department / AHJ has released the structure and confirmed the fire is fully out.
• IICRC training or supervision (FSRT preferred); read restoration certifications and standards explained if you are unsure what S700 covers.
• A signed work authorization and a confirmed point of contact (policyholder and/or adjuster).
• The water side stabilized or being stabilized in parallel — see water mitigation first 48 hours.
• A job file open in your system with a job number for cost and claim tracking.
• Knowledge of the four smoke residue types and the deodorization options (covered in the steps below).

Materials & Tools Required

Phase 1 — Initial Scene Assessment

Phase 2 — Smoke Damage Categorization

Phase 3 — Content vs. Structure Decision

Phase 4 — Pack-Out Procedure

Phase 5 — Off-Site Contents Cleaning Handoff

Phase 6 — Structural Soot & Smoke Remediation

Phase 7 — Deodorization Protocol

Common Mistakes

• Wetting soot before vacuuming. Applying chemicals or water before HEPA-vacuuming loose soot smears it permanently into the surface. Always work dry-to-wet.
• One cleaning method for the whole house. Protein, wet, dry, and fuel-oil residues need different chemistry. Treating them the same sets residue or destroys finishes.
• Skipping the test-clean. Running a full room with the wrong method wastes a day and can ruin finishes. A five-minute test patch prevents it.
• Disposing total-loss items before documenting them. This destroys claim evidence and turns every value dispute into your liability. Photograph and list first.
• No per-item photo. Missing item photos collapse condition and value disputes into your word against the policyholder's. One dated photo per item, every time.
• An unreconciled manifest. Loading without matching physical box count to the manifest is how items vanish in transit and the contents claim falls apart.
• Running ozone in an occupied space. Ozone is a respiratory hazard and not EPA-approved for occupied areas. It requires a sealed, vacated space and off-gassing before reentry.
• Ignoring HVAC and concealed cavities. Smoke migrates through ductwork and wall cavities; leaving them dirty re-circulates odor and re-soils cleaned surfaces.
• Treating fire as fire-only. Suppression water makes most fire losses water losses too. Stabilize the water side first or microbial growth compounds the job.
• Splitting documentation across the crew. Without one named documentation owner, photos, items, and manifest entries go missing. Assign one owner per job.

How to Adapt This SOP for Your Company

Universal steps (do not change): the safety and hazmat screen (Steps 1–4), smoke-type categorization and the test-clean (Steps 6–8), the dry-to-wet structural sequence (Steps 17–21), and the occupancy-based deodorization selection (Step 22). These follow IICRC S700 and physics — they do not vary by company.

Company-specific steps (adapt freely): your inventory and manifest platform (Steps 9–16 assume Encircle / Xactimate Contents / DASH — substitute yours), your facility intake and cleaning-queue routing (Step 16), your specific cleaning chemistries and preferred sealer brands, your labeling/color-coding scheme, and your sign-off and supplement-filing workflow (Step 24). Map the contents revenue and cost back to the job in QuickBooks however your books are structured — see the insurance billing guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What IICRC standard covers fire and smoke restoration?

IICRC S700 is the standard for professional fire and smoke damage restoration. It defines smoke residue types, assessment requirements, cleaning methods, and deodorization principles. Many fire jobs also touch S500 (water) because suppression water is present, so technicians often work both standards on the same loss.

How do I tell protein smoke from wet smoke from dry smoke?

Protein smoke comes from burned food or organic matter — it is nearly invisible, greasy, and produces a strong rancid odor. Wet smoke comes from low-heat smoldering plastics and rubber, leaving thick, sticky, smeary residue. Dry smoke comes from fast, high-temperature fires burning paper and wood, leaving a dry powdery residue that vacuums off easily.

Why does pack-out require a photo of every single item?

A per-item dated photo is your evidence for the insurance claim and your liability protection. It documents pre-existing damage you did not cause, proves the item's condition at intake, and supports the restorable-vs-total-loss decision. Without it, disputes over item condition and value become your word against the policyholder's.

When should an item be packed out versus cleaned in place?

Pack out items when off-site cleaning is more effective, when the structure is unsafe or under heavy remediation, or when secure storage protects high-value or sentimental items. Clean in place when items are too large to move, attached, or only lightly affected and the environment is stable. Total-loss items that cannot be restored cost-effectively are documented and disposed.

What is a pack-out manifest and why does it matter?

A pack-out manifest is the master list linking every box and every item to its inventory number, origin room, and destination. It is the chain-of-custody document. It prevents lost items, supports the claim, and lets the facility route items to the correct cleaning queue. Reconcile box counts against the manifest before loading and after unloading.

What is the correct order for cleaning structural soot?

Always work dry-to-wet. HEPA-vacuum loose soot first, then dry-sponge to lift residue, then apply chemical cleaning only where dry methods leave residue, then seal surfaces that cannot be fully cleaned. Wetting soot before vacuuming smears it into the surface and makes it far harder to remove.

When do I use a hydroxyl generator versus an ozone generator?

Use a hydroxyl generator when the space is occupied or has people, pets, or plants present — hydroxyls are safe to run around occupants. Use an ozone generator only in fully unoccupied, sealed spaces because ozone is hazardous to breathe and damages rubber and some materials. Ozone is faster and more aggressive; hydroxyl is slower but safer.

Why can't ozone be used in an occupied space?

Ozone is a respiratory hazard and the EPA does not approve ozone generators for use in occupied spaces. It must run in a sealed, vacated area with no people, pets, or plants, followed by an off-gassing period before reentry. Running ozone around occupants exposes them to a health risk and is a serious liability.

What is thermal fogging and when is it used?

Thermal fogging heats a deodorizing solution into a fine fog that penetrates the same pathways smoke traveled, neutralizing odor in porous materials and concealed cavities. It is used for moderate-to-severe odor that surface cleaning did not resolve. The space must be unoccupied during the fog and ventilated afterward.

How long does a fire and smoke job take?

Assessment and categorization take a few hours to a day. Pack-out of a full structure can take one to several days. Structural cleaning and deodorization run several more days, and off-site contents cleaning can take one to four weeks depending on volume. Plan for a multi-day to multi-week project and stage your documentation accordingly.

Do I need to test-clean before doing a whole room?

Yes. A small test-clean confirms the smoke type and chosen chemistry actually restore the surface without damaging the finish. It prevents you from running an entire room with the wrong method, which can set residue or ruin paint and finishes. Document the test result before scaling up.

How do I handle fire jobs that also have water damage?

Fire suppression leaves water, so most fire losses are also water losses. Stabilize the water side first using your water mitigation procedure — extract, set drying, and stop microbial growth — then proceed with smoke assessment and cleaning. Track both scopes separately so the job costing and the claim reflect each correctly.

What gets documented on a fire and smoke job?

Document the safety and hazmat screen, the affected-zone map, the smoke type per room, a per-item content inventory with photos and condition grades, the pack-out manifest with chain of custody, the structural cleaning sequence, the deodorization method and exposure log, and final verification with sign-off. This package supports the claim and protects you in any dispute.

How does a pack-out flow into the books and the claim?

Each pack-out and contents-cleaning line item should be coded to the job in QuickBooks so contents revenue and cost stay visible separately from structure. The manifest feeds the contents claim line, and supplements for additional contents discovered during cleaning must be filed and tracked. See our insurance billing guide for how contents receivables are billed and collected.

Who on the crew owns the documentation?

Assign one documentation owner per job — usually the lead technician or project manager — who is accountable for the inventory, photos, manifest, and deodorization log. Splitting documentation across the whole crew is how items and photos go missing. One owner, one source of truth, reconciled at each phase.

Key Takeaways

• This is a 24-step, seven-phase SOP built on IICRC S700 for fire and smoke loss work.
• Cleaning method follows smoke type — protein, wet, dry, and fuel-oil residues each need a different approach; identify the type and test-clean before scaling.
• Clean structural surfaces dry-to-wet: HEPA-vac, dry sponge, chemical clean, then seal. Never wet soot before vacuuming.
• Pack-out is a chain-of-custody operation — per-item photos, a reconciled manifest, and tamper seals protect both the claim and your liability.
• Deodorization is chosen by occupancy and severity — hydroxyl for occupied spaces, ozone for sealed unoccupied spaces only, thermal fog for severe penetrating odor.
• Most fire losses are also water losses — stabilize the water side first and track both scopes separately on the books.

Related reading: Restoration certifications & standards explained · Restoration insurance glossary · Water mitigation: the first 48 hours SOP · Complete guide to insurance billing & accounting for restoration