After a fire in Iona: board-up, soot, and odor

Fire risks in Iona

After surge events, saltwater-flooded vehicles and batteries in Iona garages have caught fire days later. If a fire happens, call 911 first, then call us for board-up, soot cleanup, and drying.

Iona lies between McGregor Boulevard and Summerlin Road on the approach to Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach, with canal and bay-front neighborhoods that flooded in Ian. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2018–2022 American Community Survey estimates about 14,295 residents in Iona. The median year of construction is about 1991, so many homes were built before Florida's post-2002 hurricane building-code updates. Low ground near the water in Iona has taken storm surge in recent hurricanes. Canal-front homes in Iona sit at low elevation, where high tides and storm water can push under doors and into ground-level rooms.

Insurance and your claim

Most homeowners and commercial policies cover sudden fire and smoke damage, subject to your terms. We document what burned, what smoked, and what got wet from firefighting, and you stay in control of the claim.

Before we arrive

• Leave soot alone. Wiping pushes it into surfaces.
• Keep the HVAC off until it is inspected.
• Keep soot off your skin and out of your car.

From board-up to odor treatment

1. Pull out the water from the hoses and dry walls, floors, and insulation.
2. Wipe down HVAC components so the system does not keep spreading residue.
3. Take out burned or heavily smoked materials that will keep smelling.
4. Treat odor after the residue is gone, with ozone or hydroxyl only in unoccupied spaces.
5. Keep a full photo record and written scope for the claim.

Iona by the numbers

Iona is about 11 miles southwest of Fort Myers. Median year built: 1991. That matters because older homes often have older wiring and more layers of paint and finish for soot to bond to. About 22% of housing units in Iona are mobile or manufactured homes, where smoke moves quickly through compact floor plans. Population: about 14,295 (the Census Bureau's 2018–2022 American Community Survey estimate).

Also in Iona

• Water damage in Iona: extraction, structural drying, and moisture mapping.
• Mold remediation in Iona: containment, HEPA filtration, and removal under Florida license MRSR4195.
• Storm damage in Iona: board-up, extraction, and drying after wind and flood.
• Emergency tarping in Iona: temporary roof cover to stop water until a roofer repairs it.
• Commercial restoration in Iona: water, mold, and fire restoration for businesses, rentals, and associations.
• All services in Iona

Fire and smoke damage restoration near Iona

• Harlem Heights fire and smoke
• Punta Rassa fire and smoke
• Cypress Lake fire and smoke
• McGregor fire and smoke
• Lee County