Wildfire season can be brutal for restoration contractors. In a matter of hours, your phone can start ringing non-stop with emergency calls, and your team can suddenly find itself juggling dozens—if not hundreds—of new fire damage projects. How do you keep everything on track without burning out your crew, or missing vital details that could impact profitability and customer satisfaction?
Below, we’ll dive into best practices that help restoration contractors manage a surge of fire damage jobs. Drawing on real-life anecdotes from experienced team members, we’ll explore how effective triage, resource planning, communication, and billing strategies can make all the difference.
When a wildfire strikes, the first 24-48 hours can feel like a whirlwind of calls, site visits, and urgent requests. Having a clear process for triage and prioritization ensures you stay organized and focus your efforts where they’re needed most.
After last year’s fire surge, our field supervisor, Jenna, learned to create a “triage checklist.” This included initial damage observation (e.g., roof integrity, structural concerns), as well as any immediate threats like water leaks from extinguishing efforts. This quick scan meant her team knew exactly where to send specialized crews first.
Not all fire damage is the same. Some calls involve minor smoke damage, while others face total structural loss. Sorting jobs by severity (critical vs. moderate vs. minor) and complexity (simple fix vs. multi-phase rebuild) helps you allocate resources efficiently.
One of the most effective fire damage triage methods for restoration teams is using a digital CRM (like Xcelerate) to gather and verify essential details upfront. Ask the right questions up front—insurance details, building access, safety hazards—so you can quickly decide on the next steps. A concise intake form or digital CRM speeds up the information-gathering stage significantly.
Once you’ve identified the most urgent cases, the next big question is: Who goes where, and when?
During a major wildfire event last month, our project manager, Luis, designated “lead techs” to handle specific tasks: smoke odor removal, structural drying, content cleaning, etc. This avoided confusion about who was responsible for what and kept the workflow organized.
In a crisis, you might need staff working overtime or in rotating shifts. Consider implementing a rotating “on-call” schedule to prevent fatigue. Digital scheduling tools—such as those in Xcelerate—make it easy to assign team members on the fly and communicate changes in real-time.
Stocking up on additional air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, and generators during fire season is vital. Our equipment manager, Terrance, once had to rent extra air movers in a pinch because the existing supply ran out. Using a job management platform that tracks equipment inventory can help you plan ahead.
During high-volume periods, miscommunication or poor documentation can lead to catastrophic delays and frustration—for you, your clients, and insurance carriers.
Use a single system for notes, photos, estimates, and updates. One of our technicians, Andrea, shared that before going digital, her team used to store job notes on paper folders. They frequently got lost or didn’t make it back to the office. Now, she logs everything in a mobile app, making it accessible to the rest of the team immediately.
Clients appreciate transparency. Giving them daily progress reports or letting them know if timelines shift builds trust. Tools like Xcelerate allow you to trigger automatic text or email updates, ensuring that property owners aren’t left in the dark.
In the aftermath of fire damage, insurance claims can be complex and lengthy. Having thorough, timestamped documentation, including photos and signed forms, streamlines the claims process and mitigates disputes down the road.
Amid the chaos of multiple wildfire jobs, staying profitable might be one of the toughest challenges.
Our accounting manager, Simone, recalls losing thousands in unbilled labor hours because staff forgot to log time. Automated time-tracking solutions help capture every billable minute, ensuring you don’t leave money on the table.
Fire damage often involves multiple steps—structural repairs, smoke mitigation, odor control, content pack-outs, etc. A line-item approach to billing clarifies what’s covered, provides transparency for clients, and helps insurance carriers process claims more smoothly.
“Know your numbers” is a mantra we often repeat. Monitoring job costs, overhead, and revenue in real time gives you a clear picture of whether you’re meeting your financial targets. Platforms like Xcelerate offer built-in KPI tracking, so you can spot inefficiencies and make quick adjustments.
Managing a surge of fire damage jobs doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By focusing on strategic triage, optimized resource planning, crystal-clear communication, and careful attention to billing, you can transform chaos into opportunity—providing exceptional service and growing your bottom line.
Ready to see how a purpose-built restoration platform can revolutionize your operation?
Book a Strategy Session with us at Xcelerate. Our solutions help you track everything from the first emergency call to the final invoice—keeping your team aligned, your clients informed, and your revenue streamlined even in the busiest wildfire season.