# Fire damage restoration guides

> Plain-language guides for after a house fire: first steps, lingering smoke odor, soot on walls, whether it is safe to stay and working with your adjuster.

URL: https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/guides/  
Section: Home > Guides  
Last updated: 2026-10-31

Disclosure: Fire Damage Restoration Fort Worth is a call-in referral service. Your call is connected to an independent, licensed local contractor who speaks with you on that call; we do not perform the work ourselves.

These guides answer the questions people ask most after a house fire, using public sources such as the U.S. Fire Administration, the EPA and the Texas Department of Insurance.

## Start with the guide that matches your situation

If the fire just happened, begin with what to do after a house fire. If you are already back home and still smell smoke, read the smoke odor guide. If you see black marks on walls or ceilings, the soot guide explains what they mean. The safety guide helps you decide whether you can stay, and the insurance guide covers the adjuster visit and record keeping.

Each guide ends with a list of details worth mentioning when you call, so the contractor you speak with can understand your situation quickly.

The guides draw on the U.S. Fire Administration's after-the-fire advice, EPA guidance on mold and moisture, lead and asbestos, the IICRC standards for fire and water restoration, and Texas Department of Insurance consumer tips. They are general information and do not replace the fire department, a licensed electrician or your insurer. For short answers, see the [questions and answers page](https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/faq/), and for how each kind of work is done, see the [fire restoration services](https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/services/) pages.

We update the guides when the sources behind them change. Each guide shows its sources at the bottom.

## All guides

- [Is it safe to stay after a fire](https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/guides/is-it-safe-to-stay-after-a-fire/): How to judge whether a home is safe to stay in after a fire: structure, utilities, air quality, water and who makes the call.
- [Smoke odor that won't go away](https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/guides/smoke-odor-that-won-t-go-away/): Why smoke smell keeps coming back after cleaning, where it hides in Fort Worth homes, and what actually removes it.
- [Soot on walls and ceilings](https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/guides/soot-on-walls-and-ceilings/): What black or grey marks on walls and ceilings mean, why wiping makes them worse, and how soot is safely removed.
- [What to do after a house fire](https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/guides/what-to-do-after-a-house-fire/): The first hours and days after a fire in Fort Worth: safety, shelter, insurance, securing the house and starting cleanup in the right order.
- [Working with your insurance adjuster](https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/guides/working-with-your-insurance-adjuster/): How a fire claim works in Texas: the adjuster's role, documenting damage, contents lists, living expenses and getting help if you disagree.

## Have a question the guides do not cover?

Questions about guides? Call and talk it through with an independent local restoration contractor on that same call.

## Talk to someone

Call (817) 753-1164 (+18177531164). Your call connects to an independent local contractor who speaks with you on that call.