PL5 hit July 18 — the fastest escalation of the season
Northwest Montana and North Idaho moved to Preparedness Level 5 on July 18, 2026 — the fastest escalation of the 2026 season. Kootenai dispatch logged 36 confirmed wildfires between July 16 and July 18. An active air-quality advisory and burn bans are in effect across North Idaho, and smoke has settled into the Flathead Valley from Kalispell through Whitefish and south toward Missoula.
For property owners, restoration GCs, and adjusters working the corridor, the question is no longer whether smoke infiltrated — it's how to get soot off exposed framing, brick, HVAC, and historic materials without triggering a second damage event.
Why dry ice blasting beats pressure washing, chemicals, and sandblasting for smoke and soot
Pressure washing drives soot deeper into porous wood and masonry and adds moisture that feeds mold behind the wall. Chemical degreasers leave residue on framing that adjusters need to inspect clean, and they can't be used on many historic finishes. Sandblasting (and soda blasting) etches the substrate, damages soft historic brick and mortar, and creates a secondary abrasive-waste cleanup on top of the soot.
Dry ice blasting uses no process water, no cleaning chemicals added, and adds no spent blast media — the CO₂ pellet sublimates on impact, and the dislodged soot is contained for HEPA capture and disposal. That makes it safe on historic materials and on the exposed framing adjusters need to see and photograph. See our full side-by-side comparison at /dry-ice-vs-other-methods.
Proof: the Kalispell historic mercantile case study
The Kalispell mercantile smoke-damage project is the exact model for this scope of work — soot removal from 1890s brick, exposed timber, and open steel, with no process water introduced to the structure and a photo-documented, insurance-ready deliverable. Read the full case study below and reference it directly when scoping your loss.
What to do right now — 3 steps
1. Don't wait. Soot is acidic and keeps working on metal fasteners, connectors, and finishes the longer it sits. The buildings scoped in the first 72 hours of a PL5 event are the ones cleaned first.
2. Get before/after documentation for insurance. Timestamped photos of exposed framing, HVAC returns, brick, and steel — before any cleaning starts — make the loss scope defensible with the adjuster.
3. Ask for dry ice blasting by name on historic and water-sensitive materials. Not every restoration crew carries it. On brick, timber framing, HVAC coils, and open steel it's the method that protects the substrate and the insurance file.
Read the proof and the method
Frequently asked questions
Does dry ice blasting remove smoke smell, not just soot?
Yes. Smoke odor is driven by condensed volatile organics bonded to the soot layer on framing, brick, and HVAC surfaces. Dry ice blasting lifts that soot layer off the substrate — not just the visible black, but the odor-carrying residue underneath — which is why buildings we clean smell dramatically different before the deodorizer/sealer step even runs.
Is it safe for historic buildings and exposed wood framing?
Yes. Dry ice pellets sublimate on impact and are low-abrasion to hard substrates like brick, stone, and structural steel, and gentle enough for exposed Douglas fir, cedar, and rough-sawn timber framing. Unlike sandblasting or soda blasting, it doesn't etch soft historic brick or mortar, and unlike pressure washing it doesn't drive water into wall cavities or historic finishes.
How fast can Summit Cryo respond during an active PL5 event?
During active PL4/PL5 periods across our MT / ID / WA / ND / SD + Alberta footprint, our current response window is 48–72 hours from a scoped request. Insurance-loss work with adjuster and GC alignment jumps to the front of the queue. We review the scope and photos you send and follow up with pricing; a site walk may be required before a firm quote depending on the structure.
Mobile crews across MT, ID, WA, ND, SD
Summit Cryo runs mobile dry ice blasting crews across Montana, Idaho, Washington, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Send the address, a few photos, and the loss date — we review the details and follow up with scope and pricing; a site walk may be required before a firm quote.
Request a scoped quote"PL5 hit in the second week of July. The buildings we scoped first were the ones we cleaned first — dry ice let us hit exposed framing and HVAC without putting water into a structure that was already stressed."