Grease Fire in a Two-Story Home: Scoping Beyond the Room of Origin
A grease fire in a two-story, 2,800 sq ft home is out. The range hood and cabinets above the stove are charred. The HVAC system was running during the fire, and the fire department used a positive-pressure fan at the front door. The adjuster’s initial authorization is limited to “kitchen cleaning only, no pack-out.” On inspection you find fine black residue on the upstairs window curtains, a visible smoke line at the second-floor ceiling, and soot on the return-air grille in the upstairs hallway. A ceiling stain in that hallway predates the fire, according to the homeowner. The homeowner wants to move back in six days. The adjuster says odor is not covered unless you prove it came from this fire. You have a camera, a boroscope, a moisture meter, and a HEPA vacuum.
1. How do you justify expanding the scope to the second floor and HVAC system without appearing to pad the estimate?
Read the worked answer
Start with pathway evidence, not opinion. The HVAC was running and the fire department used positive pressure, both of which move residue. The return-air grille and the second-floor curtains are visible receptors. Use the boroscope to inspect the return duct and plenum, and photograph residue at the grille next to a control surface. Write a room-by-room scope: kitchen (heavy cleaning), upstairs hall and curtains (light cleaning), HVAC (source removal, filter change, duct cleaning). Do not scope the entire second floor; scope only surfaces that show residue or test positive. Give the adjuster photos, a one-page narrative, and the result of a test-clean on one curtain. If authorization is denied, document the denial and the odor complaint in writing, and proceed only with approved work. This protects the insured and sets up a supplement if odor persists.
2. What do you do about the pre-existing ceiling stain, and how does it affect your scope and documentation?
Read the worked answer
Treat the stain as a pre-existing condition, not fire damage. Photograph it with a scale and a fixed reference point, measure it, and record the homeowner’s statement. Add it to a pre-existing condition report and ask the homeowner and adjuster to acknowledge it before work begins. Do not include it in the cleaning scope unless the adjuster authorizes it in writing. If cleaning the surrounding ceiling will alter the stain, mark the boundary and use containment. This prevents a later claim that you caused or worsened it, and it keeps the fire-related scope credible. It also shows the adjuster that you are distinguishing old damage from new damage rather than inflating the loss.
3. What evidence do you collect before cleaning to support the residue and odor scope?
Read the worked answer
Collect baseline evidence: wide, mid, and close photos of each affected room; tape lifts or white-cloth wipes from the curtains, grille, and ceiling; a boroscope video of the return duct; a photo of the HVAC filter; odor notes with time and location; and a sketch of smoke pathways. Label samples with date, location, and collector. Record temperature and relative humidity. This evidence supports both the residue cleaning and the odor treatment line items. It also gives the adjuster a defensible basis for approval and gives you a comparison if the homeowner later disputes the result.