Fast, Efficient Fire Restoration: Restaurant Client, Indiana

The Results

The restaurant was able to open on Thursday, just four days after being condemned.

The Challenge

DWM received a phone call on Sunday afternoon in August. There had been a fire at one of restaurant client’s locations in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A cigarette was thrown into dry mulch and started a fire that climbed quickly up the rear of the building, near the exit. The fire department was dispatched and extinguished the fire, but the restaurant was closed until repairs could be made to the exterior wall and the inside was completely free of all traces of smoke smell. The restaurant expected business to open back up four days later.

The Solution

DWM immediately responded, getting a technician on site to capture photographs of the damage and investigate what repairs would be necessary. Our technician coordinated with the representative from the board of health who gave us his expectations before the store would be opened to the public. Our tech noted while on site that the building could be secured overnight. The next day, DWM met with engineers who inspected the site. The engineers gave us the letters of building status. Our technician immediately began acquiring proper permits to begin work on the exterior and interior of the building. In the meantime, the restaurant had brought in their emergency response team to begin cleaning the kitchen equipment, furniture, ceilings, walls, and restaurant fixtures. On Tuesday, DWM received the affidavits allowing us to continue working in the area that had been classified as condemned. DWM began repairs to the interior walls where the FRP was in need of a replacement. DWM also began repairs on the exterior wall which had severe char damage on the frame wall. In order to receive inspection approvals from code enforcement, it was necessary to split our original permit into an interior permit and an exterior permit. DWM went to the code enforcement department to make these changes so the electrical inspections could take place as the exterior work was taking place. DWM replaced all of the kitchen ceiling tiles and all of the dining room ceiling tiles. DWM met with code enforcement for inspections of the final rough ins, fire, and health.