Heat · smoke · firefighting residue
Fire-Damaged Hard Drive Data Recovery
A blackened enclosure does not tell the whole story. Recoverability depends on the damage inside, the contamination and what happened after the fire.
Brisbane laboratory · Australia-wide mail-in · Written quote before recovery
Do not power, heat, rinse or dismantle the device. Contact the laboratory before packing a wet, contaminated or heavily damaged drive.
Assess the drive, not the appearance of the enclosure
Fire can affect the external casing, connectors, circuit board, seals and internal recording surfaces differently. A melted plastic shell does not establish that every file is lost; an intact-looking metal drive does not prove the platters survived. The external condition is evidence for assessment, not a recovery forecast.
Fire damage can also be water damage
Water, firefighting agents and soot may remain around connectors, under boards and within damaged enclosures. Tell the laboratory whether the device is still wet, whether salt water was involved and whether it has been cleaned. Handling instructions should reflect its actual condition rather than a generic packing checklist.
Why the first power-on matters
Applying power before assessment can compound an electrical fault or expose unstable components to further stress. A drive that spins is not necessarily safe to read repeatedly. Leave it disconnected and describe any earlier attempts, including what lights, sounds or smells were observed.
How the recovery plan is formed
Assessment determines which parts can be preserved, whether the electronics and original drive-specific information can be made accessible, and whether internal work is appropriate. If stable reading becomes possible, controlled imaging captures readable data before reconstruction. Severe damage to the recording layer may leave only a partial result—or no recoverable files.
Give the lab a short incident history
Include when the incident occurred, the device's position relative to the fire, any water or chemical exposure, storage since the incident and all subsequent work. Identify the folders that matter most and any insurance or business deadline. Do not discard the enclosure, board or attached labels simply because they look ruined.
What to include with your enquiry
- The complete device and any detached parts
- A brief history of heat, smoke and water exposure
- Details of cleaning or power-on attempts
- Priority folders and any insurer's reference, if relevant
Assessment, costs and approval
The standard diagnostic and Express post-in label are free. Recovery work is quoted after assessment. Levels 1–2 have no upfront recovery charge; Levels 3–4 have an agreed upfront component and a conditional success fee. Level 5 is custom quoted, including its upfront fee and any conditional success fee. The upfront component is not refundable once work begins. Priority services carry separate charges.
Your estimate should identify the intended outcome, any critical file register, fees, recovery media and timing before you decide. See the No Data, No Fee policy and hard drive recovery price guide.
Questions about fire-damaged hard drive data recovery
Can a burnt hard drive still contain recoverable data?
It can, but external appearance cannot establish the internal condition. Electronics, contamination, seals and the recording surfaces all need assessment. No percentage or guarantee can be inferred from a photograph.
Should I dry or clean the drive before sending it?
Contact the laboratory for instructions specific to the contamination and condition. Do not apply heat, rinse the drive or open the sealed housing as a home recovery attempt.
Is fire recovery covered by No Data, No Fee?
The policy distinguishes the conditional success fee from agreed upfront work. Complex Levels 3–5 can have a fixed upfront component that is not refundable once work begins. Confirm the full estimate before approving recovery.
Published by Wildfire Data Recovery. Technical guidance cannot establish the condition of an individual drive remotely. Related reading: our documented WD_BLACK recovery case; Seagate external-drive guidance. Refer to the preservation advice above before troubleshooting an unstable drive.
See how a recovery plan changes with the fault
Read the relevant Wildfire recovery case →
Cases describe individual jobs. The condition of your device and the files you need determine your own assessment and quote.
Find the right route back to your files.
Describe the device, what happened and which files matter most.