Restore a Fire-Damaged Photo

How it works

1. 1

   Upload or scan the damaged print

   Scan the photo if you can, or photograph it flat in even daylight with no glare — JPG, PNG, or WebP up to 7MB. If you don't have a scanner, natural daylight shows soot and scorch color more accurately than indoor lighting.

   Expect: Soot darkening and smoke discoloration clean up well. A scorched or burned-away edge is rebuilt from the surrounding photo, so review that area closely once the edit is done.
2. 2

   Describe the restoration

   Type what happened to the photo: 'remove the soot discoloration and scorch marks, rebuild the burned corner, keep the faces natural.' If this is the only surviving copy of the photo, say so — it doesn't change the process, but it's fine to be specific about what matters to you.

   Tip: Separate the two damage types in your prompt — soot darkening (a color problem) and scorching (missing or charred material) — so each is handled correctly.

   Copy one of these to get started:

   Soot and smoke discoloration remove the soot discoloration and smoke darkening from this photo and restore the natural colors underneath

   Copy Try This →

   Scorched edge rebuild the scorched edge of this photo, matching the color, lighting, and detail of the rest of the print

   Copy Try This →

   Burn hole near a face restore this fire-damaged photo, rebuilding the burned area near the face naturally without changing the person's likeness elsewhere

   Copy Try This →

   Yellowed and warped print remove the heat-yellowing and even out the warped, discolored areas of this fire-damaged photo

   Copy Try This →

   3 more prompts

   Gentle, minimal restoration gently clean the soot and smoke haze from this photo while keeping the original vintage look and film grain

   Copy Try This →

   Soot plus scratches remove the soot discoloration and the surface scratches together and restore this old photo

   Copy Try This →

   Full restoration pass restore this fire-damaged photo completely — remove soot and smoke discoloration, rebuild scorched edges, and keep the faces natural

   Copy Try This →
3. 3

   Review closely

   Zoom in on any rebuilt edge and on faces. Check that skin tones, clothing, and the background look natural and match the parts of the photo the fire didn't touch.

4. 4

   Refine with a marker if needed

   If one burned area still looks off, tap a marker on that spot and describe it more specifically. Markers are optional — most fire damage restores well from a clear written description alone.