Home fires in Tacoma
House fires are a steady part of life in the South Sound. The American Red Cross chapter for the South Puget Sound and Olympics told KING 5 it had responded to at least 212 home fires in 12 months, at least 99 of them in Pierce County, and most of those in Tacoma (KING 5, accessed 9 November 2026). The chapter’s director added that a single working smoke detector cuts the risk of injury or death by half.
The first 48 hours after a fire
- Stay out until the fire department says the building is safe to enter.
- Call your insurance company and keep receipts for hotels, meals and supplies.
- Don’t wipe soot or run the heating system; both can spread residue further.
- Call (206) 203-6155 to board up openings, tarp the roof and remove firefighting water.
Why smoke damage spreads further than the fire
Smoke travels through ducts, attics and wall cavities, so rooms the fire never reached can still smell and carry soot. In older Tacoma homes with plaster walls and original woodwork, careful cleaning often saves surfaces that would otherwise be replaced. Firefighting water adds a second problem: wet framing, insulation and floors need drying before mold starts, which is why we treat fire jobs as water jobs too (see water damage restoration in Tacoma).
From cleanup to rebuild
After cleaning and deodorizing, we repair and rebuild damaged areas, from drywall and flooring to cabinets and finishes, so you deal with one team. See fire damage reconstruction and our Tacoma service area page.
