Fire and smoke restoration across the GTA
A fire loss is really three losses at once: the burn damage, the smoke that travels through the whole house, and the water the fire department used to stop it. YAREX handles all three from Etobicoke, across Toronto and the GTA, with a 24/7 emergency line at (416) 358-2059. We take kitchen fires, electrical fires in century-home knob-and-tube, garage fires, and full structural losses — from the first sheet of plywood over a window to the final coat of paint.
How the work runs
We follow the industry-standard sequence: secure, assess, mitigate, clean, rebuild. Emergency board-up and roof tarping happen the day of the loss. Then a room-by-room assessment: what burned, where smoke traveled, what the firefighting water soaked. Mitigation runs on two tracks at once — drying the water damage before mold starts, and removing charred material before soot etches into finishes. Cleaning covers every surface smoke reached, including duct systems. Odor is neutralized at the source, and affected framing is sealed before closing walls. Damaged wiring is repaired under ESA inspection. Structural repairs are permitted through the City of Toronto and built to the Ontario Building Code.
Then the rebuild — and because YAREX is a renovation contractor first, the rebuild is where we are strongest. Many families use the reconstruction to improve the house rather than merely put it back, and insurers routinely accommodate upgrades where you pay the difference.
Insurance claims, managed
Fire is covered on essentially every Ontario homeowner policy, along with smoke, firefighting water damage, contents and additional living expenses while you are out of the house. We photograph and document to adjuster standards, produce itemized scopes, meet the adjuster on site, and can bill the insurer directly. One thing worth knowing: the choice of restoration contractor is yours, not your insurer’s.
Why YAREX
Licensed and insured, one company from board-up to final paint — no gap between the mitigation firm and the rebuild contractor. The Clean Worksite Promise holds on fire jobs too: contained work zones, protected contents, a site your family can check on safely. If the fire was today, call (416) 358-2059 now. If you are rebuilding after one, estimates are free.
Fire & Smoke Restoration — questions
01What happens right after a house fire in Toronto?
Once Toronto Fire Services releases the property, it must be secured — insurers require it, and unsecured fire scenes attract liability. We board up openings, tarp roofs, and fence as needed, 24/7. Do not re-enter until the structure is cleared as safe, and notify your insurer immediately. Most Ontario policies also cover additional living expenses while you are displaced.
02Does insurance cover fire damage restoration?
Fire is a core covered peril on virtually every Ontario home policy, including smoke damage, firefighting water damage, contents and additional living expenses while displaced. Your cost is normally the deductible. We document the loss, provide itemized scopes to your adjuster, and can bill the insurer directly. You choose your restoration contractor — not the insurance company.
03Can smoke smell be fully removed from a house?
Yes, when the work is done in the right order: remove charred and smoke-saturated materials, clean every remaining surface, then neutralize odor with air scrubbing and treatments that reach where soot penetrated — inside wall cavities and ductwork included. Sealing odor-affected framing before rebuild is standard. Air fresheners and ozone shortcuts alone fail within weeks.
04How long does fire restoration take?
Board-up happens the day you call. Cleanup and odor work on a small-to-moderate loss takes one to two weeks. Rebuild depends on scope: a smoke-damaged kitchen may take four to eight weeks. A structurally damaged home can take six months or more, including City of Toronto permits and Ontario Building Code review for structural repairs. We give a written schedule once the scope is agreed with your adjuster.
05Is it safe to stay in a house after a small fire?
Often not, at first. Soot is acidic and airborne particulates from even a small kitchen fire irritate lungs, and firefighting water may have soaked hidden cavities. Have the electrical system checked before re-energizing affected circuits — ESA inspection is required where wiring was damaged. We assess habitability honestly, and your policy's living-expense coverage exists for exactly this.
