Questions about fire damage in New York City

No. It is an independent referral service. When you send the form, your details go to an independent local restoration provider serving New York City, who can contact you, inspect and quote any work directly. You decide whether to hire them.

No. Sending the form is free and does not commit you to hire anyone. Any price comes from the provider; ask for it in writing.

All five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.

NYC Emergency Management says to check with the fire department that the residence is safe to enter. DOB says no one can enter a building with a vacate order in effect.

An order from DOB or HPD that a building or unit is not safe to occupy. It can be partial or full. The City Council’s guide says it means your unit is not safe to live in and is not an eviction order.

The owner corrects the conditions, may need a licensed engineer or architect to file applications with DOB, and requests the lifting. Each agency that issued an order inspects and rescinds it, according to DOB.

The City Council’s guide says building management should board up openings, hires the clean-up, remediation and rebuilding vendors, and should test for asbestos. DOB says rent stabilized and rent controlled tenants can file with DHCR to reduce the rent to $1 a month while they cannot live in the unit.

The City Council’s guide says the Red Cross can help with a hotel for 24 to 48 hours after an immediate needs assessment, then refers families to HPD and HRA. DOB’s FAQs point to HPD’s Emergency Housing Services for longer-term help.

The City Council’s guide says everyone qualifies for Red Cross help regardless of legal or citizenship status, and that you have 14 days from the incident to register if you missed it.

No. NYC Emergency Management says do not attempt to reconnect utilities. The City Council’s guide tells tenants to call the gas and electric providers to suspend service.

Not until an inventory is made, NYC Emergency Management advises. Photograph each item first, and ask your insurer for instructions if you are insured.

In a rental building, the City Council’s guide says building management hires the vendors. In a co-op or condo, the building and the owner each handle part, as the building’s documents set out. In a house, the owner arranges it.

In order: the all-clear, securing openings, the inventory, drying firefighting water, removing what cannot be saved, cleaning smoke and soot, then repairs under DOB permits where needed. The fire damage cleanup NYC guide sets it out.

It depends on the damage, the building, any vacate order and the permits and insurance decisions involved. Ask the provider who inspects for a written scope and the order of work.

Often a great deal of it, but not everywhere. Hard, sealed surfaces generally clean better than porous ones, and some fabrics and furnishings are replaced rather than cleaned. A provider who inspects can say item by item.

No government or standards source used by this site sets out a full method. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System warns that water and cleaning solutions drive soot further into surfaces, so loose soot is generally removed dry before any liquid touches it. See soot cleaning.

Because residue remains in materials such as walls, ductwork and furniture. See smoke odor removal.

The EPA advises drying water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.

The City Council’s guide says testing should be done by the landlord’s clean-up company for asbestos, and that a tenant can call 311 to request a DEP inspector to take samples, which pauses clean-up.

A temporary closure of broken windows, doors and roof openings to keep weather and people out until repairs. See emergency board up.

This site gives no prices. Cost depends on the damage and the building, and comes from the provider after an inspection; ask for it in writing.

Online through NYC OpenRecords. FDNY’s page says paper forms have not been accepted since February 18, 2025. See how to get an FDNY fire report.

No. It does not handle claims or promise any outcome. NYC Emergency Management advises contacting your insurer for instructions after a fire; check your own policy or agent.