After the fire trucks leave a Lake Wales home, what remains is a structure that is wet from suppression water, coated in acidic soot and saturated with smoke odor, often with openings to the weather. Water Restoration connects you with local fire damage restoration crews that secure the property, remove the water, clean the soot, eliminate the odor and rebuild.
Lake Wales is a smaller community in Florida, home to roughly 17,800 residents, with a mix of historic homes, post-war neighborhoods and newer construction, with farms and acreage properties nearby. Cooking fires are the leading cause year-round, with electrical and heating fires rising in the cooler months.
Types of fire losses in Lake Wales, FL
Slab-on-grade construction is common, which means supply lines run beneath the concrete and slab leaks can go unnoticed until flooring buckles or the water bill jumps. Cooking remains the leading cause of home fires here, as it is nationwide.
- Kitchen and cooking fires, the leading cause of home fires
- Electrical fires when power is restored to water-damaged wiring after a storm
- Clothes dryer lint fires
- Garage, workshop and vehicle fires
- Lightning-caused attic and roof fires
- Electrical shorts in humid attics and crawlspaces
- Small fires that were extinguished quickly but filled the house with smoke
- Grill and outdoor cooking fires that spread to siding and decks
The first 48 hours after a fire
Soot is acidic. Within hours it discolors plastics and countertops; within days it etches glass, pits metal and permanently stains grout. Smoke odor penetrates drywall, insulation and upholstered contents and becomes harder to remove each day. Meanwhile the water used to put out the fire is soaking into the same materials, starting the mold clock that every water loss faces.
Emergency services on the first visit typically include board-up and tarping, water extraction, HEPA air filtration, protection of unaffected areas and an initial inventory of contents, with full cleaning and reconstruction following.
Our fire damage restoration process in Lake Wales
- Dispatch and assessment. A local crew confirms the property is safe to enter and plans the stabilization.
- Board-up, tarping and security. Windows, doors and roof openings are sealed against weather, animals and intruders.
- Suppression water cleanup. Extraction and drying equipment address the water left by firefighting.
- Structural cleaning. Walls, ceilings, cabinets, fixtures and the HVAC system are cleaned using methods chosen for wet, dry or protein smoke.
- Contents processing. Furniture, clothing, electronics and documents are inventoried, cleaned where possible and stored until the home is ready.
- Odor removal with thermal fogging, hydroxyl or ozone and sealing of structural surfaces, followed by full reconstruction.
Contents: what is cleanable and what is not
Hard, non-porous items clean up well; porous items that absorbed heavy smoke usually do not. A reputable crew will test-clean before committing to a method, document non-salvageable items for your claim rather than charging to clean them, and tell you honestly when replacement is the better path.
Pricing, estimates and insurance claims
The cost of fire damage restoration depends on the size of the fire, the type of smoke residue, how far it traveled through the building and how much of the structure and contents can be cleaned rather than replaced.
Fire is a named peril on standard policies. Expect the claim to involve a structural estimate, a contents inventory and, if you cannot stay in the home, additional living expense coverage.
Get the scope and pricing in writing, ask what the carrier typically covers, and keep every receipt for emergency expenses.
Lake Wales neighborhoods and ZIP codes covered
Coverage in Lake Wales includes ZIP codes 33853, 33859 and 33898, along with the rest of Polk County.
The same crews also serve nearby communities including Babson Park (7 mi), Waverly (7 mi), Alturas (9 mi), Lakeshore (9 mi), Dundee (10 mi), Nalcrest (10 mi), Lake Hamilton (11 mi), Winter Haven (12 mi), Frostproof (12 mi) and Eagle Lake (12 mi). If you are just outside Lake Wales, call anyway; coverage areas overlap.
Why Lake Wales property owners call Water Restoration
- One number covers water, fire, smoke, mold, sewage and biohazard emergencies
- A live person answers around the clock, because water and fire do not keep business hours
- We route you to a local company that already works in Lake Wales and Polk County
- You can ask about licensing, insurance and IICRC certification before any work begins, and you should
- Crews document the loss with photos, moisture readings and itemized estimates in the format insurance adjusters expect
Fire Damage in Lake Wales: FAQs
What about the water the fire department used?
Suppression water is removed and the structure dried as part of the restoration. Left in place it causes swelling, delamination and mold within days, compounding the fire damage.
What should I do first after a fire at my Lake Wales home?
Make sure everyone is safe and do not re-enter until the fire department clears the structure. Call your insurance company to open a claim, then call (888) 755-3821 for emergency board-up and mitigation. Photograph the damage before anything is moved, if it is safe to do so.
Do you provide emergency board-up in Lake Wales?
Yes. Board-up, tarping and site security are dispatched around the clock so the property is protected from weather and intruders while the claim and cleanup get underway.
Will insurance pay for a hotel while my house is repaired?
Most homeowners policies include additional living expense coverage for temporary housing and extra costs while the home is uninhabitable, up to the policy limit. Keep every receipt.
How long does fire restoration take in Lake Wales?
Emergency stabilization happens within a day or two. Cleaning and deodorizing a smoke-damaged home typically takes one to several weeks. Full reconstruction after a significant fire can take months, depending on the damage and Lake Wales permitting timelines.