Scorch, Melt and Heat-Affected Sheet
Different roofs fail in different ways. A thermoplastic sheet near a hot spot softens and shrinks, leaving a brittle, wrinkled patch that looks sound but will crack on the next cold night. A bitumen roof may blister or lose its surfacing, and foam can char at the surface while remaining soft beneath it. Metal panels tend to keep their shape, but their coatings discolor and seal at the laps can burn out, leaving a weak joint under paint that looks nearly new.
Judging how far heat reached takes more than a visual walk. We cut test samples, check the insulation beneath for melting or compression, and probe the deck at the edge of the damage. Standing seam and other noncombustible metal assemblies, such as a standing seam metal roof, may need only trim and sealant work, while a membrane that has been heat-cycled across a wide area can be past repair. The decision depends on the evidence, not on the first look.
Water, Safety and the Record After a Fire
The fire itself is often not the worst thing a roof meets. Firefighting water soaks the insulation and runs down walls, and a building that smells of smoke may also be wet from the roof down. Our first job is to confirm that the structure is safe to walk, close the openings the fire left, and put temporary cover on as emergency roof repair, which we do at any hour of the day or night. A tarp that is fastened to sound substrate keeps weather out until the permanent work is scoped.
Records come next, and they matter for the claim. We photograph every area before cleanup, mark the burn pattern on a roof plan, and take moisture readings to find where firefighting water settled. That evidence goes into the insurance claim documentation for the loss, so an adjuster sees what was damaged and why. We do not predict coverage, and we leave the policy question to you and the insurer.
The Eaton Fire and the Foothill Roofs Near It
The Eaton Fire began on January 7, 2025, burned 14,021 acres and destroyed 9,419 structures before it was fully contained on January 31. The downtown business district in Altadena lost shops and service buildings, and Sierra Madre sits in the same San Gabriel Mountains foothills. Embers carried by wind settle in the same debris pockets wherever they land, so a building outside the burn area can still hold hidden damage.
The state revised its fire hazard map in March 2025, and the number of properties in the Very High zone rose from 3,911 to 4,610. Pasadena's zones lie mostly in the Arroyo Seco and west and north of the 210 freeway, with upper Hastings Ranch in the east. A repair there is judged against Chapter 7A of the building code, so we confirm the mapped zone before we write a scope, and we do it with the permit center so that surprises come early.
Class A Assemblies and Cool Roof Limits
When a roof in a Very High zone is rebuilt, the rules ask for more than a new sheet. Chapter 7A expects the Class A rating from the whole assembly, with the deck, underlayment and covering each doing their part. A mineral-surfaced cap sheet of at least 72 pounds and 36-inch metal valley flashing are named in the rule. Existing buildings fall under it once the replaced share of the roof passes half in a single year, and ember-resistant vents and gutter debris protection come with it.
The 2025 California Energy Code also sets aged solar reflectance at 0.63 and thermal emittance at 0.75, or SRI 75, for a new low-slope nonresidential roof. An alteration triggers the same values when it crosses the smaller threshold: more than half the roof area or 2,000 square feet. A product’s published aged rating determines whether it meets the applicable route. Both rules can apply to one project, and picking an assembly that satisfies them together is part of the design. Wind came with the threat as well: Santa Ana gusts of 60 to 80 mph were forecast before the Eaton Fire, so the edge metal and fasteners on a wind-damaged roof get checked alongside the burn. The same roof edge can fail under wind pressure, which is why a wind damage repair checks metal terminations and membrane edges.
Commercial Roofing Questions
Ash settled on our roof from a fire nearby, but nothing looks burned. What should be checked?
Start with the places debris collects: behind parapet caps, in valleys, around curbs and in scupper boxes. Ash holds moisture against the sheet and can clog drains, and a small ember may have scorched a flashing or edge. A walk with a probe and moisture readings answers it in a visit, before the first rain.
Do we have to rebuild to Class A after a fire repair?
That depends on the mapped zone and on how much of the roof is replaced. In a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, a new roof or replacing more than half of an existing one in a year brings the requirement. Smaller repairs in kind are treated differently, and we confirm with the permit center.
How quickly should a fire-damaged roof be covered?
As soon as the structure is safe to enter. Open decks, burned flashing and wet insulation will all get worse with the next rainfall, and wet insulation or decking can continue to deteriorate if it remains damp. Temporary cover is fastened into sound substrate and sized for the weather that is forecast.
Can soot and ash be cleaned off the membrane without harming it?
Gentle cleaning with low pressure and the right cleaner generally works, though some surfaces and coatings tolerate less than others. Heavy deposits are removed by hand first so that drains and scuppers stay open. We check the manufacturer's guidance for the particular membrane before using any chemical.
Which records will an insurer want from the roof?
Photographs taken before cleanup, a marked roof plan, moisture readings and a written scope that separates fire damage from older wear. The adjuster needs to see what changed, so we record the roof as we find it and keep each finding tied to a location and a date.
