Wildfires have devastated communities across Los Angeles, from Pacific Palisades to Altadena, leaving many homeowners and business owners overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. We know firsthand how tough this situation can be— our families, friends, and customers have been impacted, and we’re here to help.
To give you the best advice, we sat down with Steve Slepcevic, Managing Partner of Strategic Response Partners (SRP) and a seasoned disaster response expert. With experience from major disasters like Hurricane Katrina and many of California’s wildfires, Steve knows exactly what steps homeowners need to take to recover safely and prepare for the future.
Q&A with Natural Disaster Recovery Expert, Steve Slepcevic: A Step-by-Step Guide to Wildfire Recovery & Prevention
Phase 1: Protecting Your Home or Business Before Disaster Strikes
Q: What can property owners do to minimize wildfire damage, especially if they live in a wildfire-prone area?
Steve Slepcevic: Wildfires can be unpredictable, but there are key steps you can take to protect your home:
Create Defensible Space: Clear brush and debris at least 100 feet from your home to reduce fuel sources.
Upgrade Roofing Materials: Use fire-resistant roofing like tile or steel instead of wood-based materials.
Install Spark Arrestor Vents: These prevent embers from entering attics and igniting fires.
Remove Flammable Objects: Keep gas cans, wooden trellises, and patio furniture away from your home.
Trim Trees & Shrubs: Reduce fire spread by maintaining adequate spacing between vegetation.
Set Up Fire Suppression Measures: Install fire pumps or water storage tanks to help suppress fires before they reach your home.
Additionally, companies can contract for private fire response services, through companies such as SRP’s and their commercial and private client wildfire mitigation services. As a private client, SRP can immediately deploy trained and seasoned firefighters to provide added structure protection during a wildfire event. This proactive measure significantly reduces the risk of damage to your property.
Phase 2: What to Do Immediately After a Wildfire
Q: What should property owners do right after returning to their property?
Steve Slepcevic: First and foremost, prioritize safety. Use Watch Duty, which provides real-time updates on fires, evacuation warnings, and local alerts, to stay informed. If your home or business looks unsafe, do not enter. If it seems intact, wear protective gear and carefully inspect for damage, however, I highly recommend hiring a qualified Environmental Consultant to conduct testing for ash, soot, and char, particularly if your property is within a wildfire impact zone.
Phase 3: Home Inspections, Environmental Testing & Structural Damage
Q: What are the most common hidden damages after a wildfire?
Steve Slepcevic: Many people assume that if their property is still standing, it’s fine— but that’s not always the case. Hidden damage can pose serious health risks from toxic ash particulates, including thermal heat exposure to exterior facade, rooftop fire ember damage, electrical hazards, and many other risks.
The Importance of Hiring a Qualified Environmental Consultant
One of the most crucial steps is hiring a qualified Environmental Consultant to conduct testing for ash, soot, char, and combustion byproducts, especially if your property is within a wildfire impact zone. Not all Environmental Consultants are equally qualified— some may not perform the comprehensive range of tests necessary to accurately assess contamination levels. This could lead to an underestimation of contamination and potentially reduce your remediation payout.
Additionally, health concerns related to wildfire contamination, such as respiratory issues from lingering smoke particles, are a major reason why professional environmental testing is necessary. Toxic particles can settle in attics, HVAC systems, walls, carpets, and personal belongings, creating long-term hazards if not properly addressed.
Once testing is completed, it’s essential to bring in a professional remediation and restoration contractor to decon the structure and contents. Following remediation, the Environmental Consultant should return for exit testing and provide a clearance certificate confirming that the property is safe to reoccupy and free from contamination.
Strategic Response Partners maintains one the largest networks of qualified experts and remediation contractors, including complete hazmat site clean up to design-build custom home builders to assist throughout the disaster recovery process.
Phase 4: Salvaging Belongings & Cleaning Up
Q: What household items can be saved after a wildfire, and what do people often overlook?
Steve Slepcevic: Some items can be restored, but others may need to be replaced. Clothing, linens and hard surfaces such as furniture can often be cleaned with wipe down and ozone/uv cleaning treatments, but couches, pillows, mattresses, and enclosed porous materials usually absorb toxic smoke and should be replaced.
Electronics are another concern— smoke and soot can corrode internal parts, leading to failure months later. It is highly recommended to have professional testing completed to ensure your property is safe to reinhabit.
Phase 5: Navigating the Insurance Process
Q: What’s the best way to handle an insurance claim after a wildfire?
Document everything as soon as possible. Take high-resolution photos and videos of all visible damage, including structural issues, personal property loss, and environmental contamination. Keep a detailed inventory of damaged items and gather receipts or appraisals for high-value belongings.
Call your insurance agent immediately, but don’t rely solely on them— consider getting a second opinion from a private/public adjuster or an insurance coverage attorney who works for you, the policyholder. Insurers, who themselves are overwhelmed with inquiries, often aim to minimize their financial exposure. This means your initial offer may not reflect the full extent of the damage.
Some vendors may offer surface-level cleaning but fail to address deeper health exposures. Insurance companies may also underestimate the extent of damage, making it crucial to work with independent environmental consultants and restoration experts who can properly document the situation and advocate for full compensation. This is where BYLTup plays an important role, providing thorough and trustworthy inspections to ensure that no damage is overlooked. Their expertise helps property owners convey to their carriers the full extent of damages and ensures their properties are fully restored before reoccupation.
Additionally, keeping detailed records of all communications, securing multiple professional assessments, and consulting an expert to review your policy coverage can help ensure that insurance claims are processed fairly and accurately.
Phase 6: Long-Term Recovery & Fireproofing Your Home
Q: After rebuilding, how can property better prepare for future wildfires?
Steve Slepcevic:
Hire a disaster management team, to manage the disaster recovery process.
Upgrade your property’s fire defenses by installing fire-resistant materials and landscaping.
Have a wildfire and disaster emergency plan in place so you, your family, or your employees know exactly what to do next time a natural disaster strikes. This plan should include an exit route, go bag, meet-up points, radio, food and water.
Why Choose BYLTup for Roof Inspections and Insurance Support?
At BYLTup, we specialize in helping homeowners navigate wildfire recovery. Our free roof inspections ensure you don’t overlook hidden damage, and we’ll guide you through the process to make sure every detail of your roof exposure is addressed and the roof completed to code.
Disaster recovery specialists, like Steve and Strategic Response Partners, partner with BYLTup because while they excel in large-scale disaster management, they rely on experts like us for specialized home inspections and structural assessments. BYLTup brings the expertise needed to identify roof and home damage that could be overlooked, ensuring that homeowners get the support they need to fully recover.
