Specialist Disinfection at a Fire-Damaged Supermarket

In July 2026, a fire in the external courtyard of a local supermarket in Surrey led to the store’s air vents drawing in smoke, ash and soot, covering all the fridges, shelves and products. This large-scale contamination forced the store to close for three weeks, causing a significant loss of earnings.

Various items in the store were contaminated with ash, while the accompanying power failure caused harmful bacteria and mould to develop on the refrigerated foods. As a result the Environmental Health Officer intervened to oversee the store’s cleaning and reopening.

To limit the store’s downtime and financial loss, Rentokil Specialist Hygiene carried out a comprehensive specialist disinfection. We deployed a full emergency response team consisting of five RSPH-certified technicians, managed by two experienced service supervisors and a service manager.

The team began by clearing four skip loads of waste from the supermarket, with spoiled food items collected in a dedicated van rather than being placed in a skip to protect the store from potential pest infestations.

Following the removal of waste from the site, our team deep cleaned all fire damage and mould from the supermarket floor and storage areas with industrial-grade cleaning products. The team then sanitised the entire premises using Ultra Low Volume (ULV) fogging with Steri-7 to eliminate any surviving foodborne pathogens across all surfaces.

In addition to the specialist disinfection, Rentokil Specialist Hygiene also cleaned the fire damage in the external courtyard. This ensured any visible trace of the fire was eliminated, restoring a clean and welcoming exterior for returning customers.

In a rapid seven-day turnaround, our specialist team removed all biohazard and chemical hazard risks from the customer’s premises. This enabled the Environmental Health Officer to certify the store as hygienically safe and ready to reopen, minimising their lost trading time and income.

By combining comprehensive specialist disinfection with regular updates from our team, Rentokil Specialist Hygiene delivered complete reassurance and rapid recovery when the customer needed it most.