Wildfire Smoke and Ash Cleanup in Malibu

Malibu's fire history is recent and repeated. The Woolsey Fire started on November 8, 2018. The Franklin Fire started near Malibu Canyon Road on the night of December 9, 2024, burned 4,037 acres and, by CAL FIRE's count, destroyed 20 structures and damaged 28 before it was contained on December 18. Less than a month later the Palisades Fire reached the city's eastern end. A house that sat downwind of both recent fires may hold residue from each, and a house that was cleaned after Woolsey may have taken residue again since. We ask what was done after each fire, and we plan for sampling rather than assume the house started clean.

Canyon houses take smoke differently from houses on a flat street. Strong offshore wind drives ash through ridge vents, under sliding doors and into deck framing, and open-beam ceilings, exposed wood and stacked stone give it rough surfaces to settle on. Tall glass walls come with long window tracks and ledges that collect it. We start with the high and rough surfaces, where a household cloth would only grind the soot in, and work down to the floors.

On the beach side, salt air and humidity keep working on the residue. Soot is acidic, and marine moisture keeps it active on metal and glass, so door hardware, appliance fronts, light fixtures, aluminum window frames and ocean-facing glass can pit or etch if soot sits on them. Those surfaces get cleaned early on a beach job, ahead of the rooms that can wait a few days.

Most of Malibu runs on septic, and cleaning uses water. Rinse water, extracted water from a lower floor that firefighters soaked, and wash water from decks all have to go somewhere. Tell us about the septic system before wet work begins, so we can plan where that water goes and keep the load off a system that has not been checked since the fire. Ash hosed off a deck also tends to end up on the sand. In January 2025 the county extended an ocean water advisory, warning that ash could reach coastal water through runoff and wind and could contain arsenic, other metals and asbestos, so we collect ash from decks and patios with HEPA vacuums and wet methods instead of washing it off.

Many Malibu houses were empty when the smoke came. A heating and cooling system left running on a schedule pulls outdoor air through the house for days, and a closed house holds what came in. If you were away, photograph the thermostat setting and the air filter before anyone changes them, and do not run the system until it has been inspected and cleaned. If the power was out, photograph the refrigerator and freezer contents before you throw anything away.

A Malibu job follows the same order every time. We start with a free walkthrough with photographs of every room, the attic, the garage, the decks and the exterior. Next comes the sampling plan, with the independent hygienist you choose. Containment and HEPA air scrubbers go in, and the heating and cooling system stays off until it is cleaned. We clean the attic, then ceilings to floors, then contents, which can be packed out, inventoried and cleaned off site. Odor treatment comes once the residue is out, followed by clearance sampling and the photo record for you and your carrier.

Before anyone cleans, photograph the house as it is, keep the windows closed on windy days, and do not sweep ash dry or vacuum it with a household machine. Tell us on the call how the house is reached, including any gate code, private road or caretaker, and whether a fire or a storm has closed your road. We document the house, estimate our own scope and can bill your carrier directly for our services. Coverage questions belong to your carrier, your agent or a public adjuster, and our AB 1795 article explains the state smoke damage laws taking effect on January 1, 2027. Our technicians hold IICRC certifications in fire and smoke restoration and odor control, and the first inspection is free.