Passaic County, NJ · ~15 min away
Fire Damage Restoration in Hawthorne, NJ
After the fire department clears the structure, the damage keeps working: soot residue is acidic, smoke odor settles into porous materials, and the water used to put the fire out soaks floors and ceilings. We handle all three, then the rebuild. Hawthorne is about 15 minutes out for us.
Runoff leaves Goffle Hill fast and concentrates in Goffle Brook, which reaches the Passaic at the borough's edge. In hard rain the brook comes up quickly, and the low streets around Goffle Brook Park take the overflow.
A person answers — not an answering service. Closed Saturdays for Shabbat. Covered claims are billed directly to your carrier.
Same-day emergency response
Response promise
6 counties
Northern NJ service area
Totowa, NJ
Locally owned & operated
IICRC Certified
Certification
Process
What happens after you call.
We assess the fire, smoke, and water damage separately, then clean up in the order that stops further loss: residue off surfaces, odor at its source, wet materials dried, and the rebuild last. The service page covers each step.
- Safety clearance
- Assessment & written plan
- Water extraction & structural drying
- Smoke & soot cleanup
- Odor removal at the source
- Reconstruction
Local knowledge
What we see in Hawthorne
The housing stock, the terrain, and the drainage in Hawthorne all change how we plan a job. Here's what we run into:
On the ground
Goffle Brook crosses the whole borough on its way to the Passaic River, and it has overflowed into the surrounding streets, with cars caught in high water along Goffle Road in the summer 2026 storms. The blocks beside the brook and the park flood on rain the rest of Hawthorne sheds.
The housing stock
A lot of Hawthorne's housing dates to the borough's first decades, and basements of that age can seep in wet seasons without anything being broken. Part of our inspection is telling you whether the moisture is storm damage or a drainage pattern the house has had for years.
Getting to you
We come up through Paterson, about fifteen minutes from the shop. The grid makes addresses easy to find, and most houses have a driveway where the van can sit close to the door.
Common problems
The problems we're usually called about.
A smell that returns on humid days
Odor compounds sit in porous material such as drywall and unsealed wood, and humidity makes them noticeable again. Airing the house out doesn't remove them; the material has to be cleaned or removed.
Wet floors and walls from the hose line
Putting out a fire can leave a large amount of water behind. If it stays in the flooring and wall cavities, mold can start in 24 to 48 hours. We extract and dry as part of the fire job rather than treating it as separate work.
Smoke damage from a small kitchen fire
Even a fire that was out in minutes can push smoke through most of the house. The stove area may be the only visible damage, but residue and odor often reach rooms far from it. An inspection tells you how far it went, and the inspection is free.
Soot inside the HVAC system
If the system ran during or after the fire, residue is likely inside the ducts, and running it again spreads that residue into cleaned rooms. We check duct interiors as part of the assessment and clean them before the system goes back into use.
Insurance
We work with your insurance, and we bill them directly
- 01
Call us
We answer, ask what happened, and get a crew moving. Same-day emergency response on active water.
- 02
We document everything
We take moisture readings and photos and write up a scope of work before drying starts, so your adjuster has the file from day one.
- 03
We bill your insurer directly
We work directly with your insurance company on covered water and mold claims, so you're not fronting the full cost and chasing reimbursement.
Your deductible is still yours to cover, and we'll tell you that number before any work starts rather than after. You also don't need a claim to hire us. Plenty of our jobs are paid directly by the homeowner, and after the free inspection we'll say which way makes more sense for the damage you have.
Who's showing up
Local and independent, based in Totowa, NJ.
The person on the phone is the person planning the job. We're in Hawthorne every week.
- IICRC Certified
- Licensed
- Bonded
- Insured
FAQ
Questions we get most.
Do you bill my insurance company directly?
Yes. On covered water, mold, and fire claims we bill the carrier directly, so you are not fronting the cost and waiting for reimbursement. You pay your deductible and we settle the rest with the insurer, supported by the photos, moisture readings, and drying logs adjusters ask for. A claim is not required to hire us — many of our residential jobs are paid by the homeowner.
What documentation does an insurance claim need?
Photos of the damage before work starts, moisture readings from every affected material, drying logs while equipment runs, and an itemized scope of what was removed and why. We produce all of it as we work, and you get a copy whether or not you file. If a failed part caused the loss — a supply line, a fitting — keep it, because adjusters often want to see it.
Will I get mold after water damage?
Not if the structure is dried correctly and quickly. Mold needs moisture, and it can begin growing on wet material in as little as 24 to 48 hours — that is why extraction and drying start the same day. Surfaces the water reached are cleaned and treated with EPA-registered antimicrobials before anything gets closed back up.
What should I do in the first few hours after water damage?
Stop the water at the main shut-off or the fixture valve if you can reach it safely. If water is near outlets or appliances, cut power to that area at the breaker — never stand in water to do it. Move what you can to a dry room. Then call (551) 414-6202. The sooner extraction starts, the more of the structure and contents we can save.
How fast can you get here?
We dispatch the same day you call, six days a week, from our base in Totowa. Most of our service area is within about 45 minutes. Tell us what you see when you call — standing water, an active leak, a ceiling coming down — and we will tell you what to do until the crew arrives.
Service area
Hawthorne, NJ — Passaic County.
We're about 15 minutes out, six days a week. The homes run to frame houses from the borough's early-1900s build-out on gridded streets, with capes and ranches on the rise toward Goffle Hill. We cover every block, including the Lafayette Avenue corridor, Goffle Hill, North Hawthorne. Hawthorne is known for Goffle Brook Park, the Lafayette Avenue business strip, and a street grid platted out as the borough grew after its 1898 founding.
Fire Damage Restoration in nearby towns
Emergency? Call first
Fire damage in Hawthorne? Skip the form.
Call (551) 414-6202 and we start sorting it out on the phone while the crew loads, six days a week. The form is for anything that can wait a few hours. A person reads it and replies during business hours.
Same-Day Emergency Response. Closed Saturdays for Shabbat.