🔥 Portage, fire damage doesn't stop when the flames go out.
These photos are from a recent fire job. A backyard shed burned to the ground, with a riding mower and everything stored inside lost in the fire. The shed was a total loss, but it was close to the house, which means the next questions are just as important: Did smoke get into the siding, the vents or the attic? Did soot travel inside? Was water from putting out the fire left behind?
The hours and days after a fire matter. Soot is acidic and can stain surfaces the longer it sits. Smoke odor works its way into fabrics, drywall and insulation. And water from fire hoses can soak materials that were never touched by flames.
✅ After any fire at your home:
• Make sure the fire department says it is safe to go back in
• Don't wipe soot off walls yourself, it can smear and set deeper
• Keep windows and doors secure
• Take photos of everything before cleanup starts
• Call your insurance company and a restoration company quickly
Portage families know Northwest Indiana weather: summer thunderstorms with lightning, dry fall leaves, and winter months when space heaters, fireplaces and furnaces are working hard. From neighborhoods near Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk and Salt Creek to homes along Central Avenue and Willowcreek Road, a garage, shed or kitchen fire can happen anywhere. We help homeowners across Portage (46368), Porter County and nearby Chesterton, Valparaiso, Burns Harbor, Ogden Dunes and Hobart.
