What is a packout, and why does El Cajon have companies that only do that?

A packout is the contents phase of a fire job done as its own trade: the crew inventories every affected item with photos and condition notes, packs and moves contents to be cleaned and stored dry, and returns them when the structure is finished. El Cajon has a dedicated local firm for it, Finch Packouts & Restoration on E Douglas Avenue, because contents are where fire losses quietly double: items cleaned promptly survive, items left in a soot and odor environment absorb both. The inventory also does double duty as the contents portion of the insurance claim, which is why nothing should be thrown away before it is listed.