What are the different kinds of fire damage?

11/1/2023 (Permalink)

Fire damage chart.

Dealing with the damage from a fire can be a long process.  The fire could have been small, but the smoke from it did the majority of the damage.  On the other side, most of the damage could have been from the fire itself.  Lastly, a damage could have been caused when the fire was extinguished.  Here are the main types of fire damage that are commonly dealt with.

Flame Damage - This could be from an electrical outlet that caused damage, all the way to a full-blown kitchen fire.

Smoke Damage - Smoke is literally in the air and can (and will) get into everything.  Even after the rebuild is completed, there can still be a lingering smell of smoke o the property unless it is dealt with correctly.

3rd Party Damage - This type of damage comes from any in-house sprinkler system used to put the fire out or from the Fire Department themselves when they get to the scene.

Heat Damage - Even though a part of the structure might have not actually caught fire, it was probably severely heated up.  This can cause structural damage and possible swelling that you might not notice right away.

After a fire, you could be dealing with flame, smoke, water, and heat damage at the same time.  FEMA has some great information on what to do after the fire.  The best way to e this is taken care of promptly and properly is to contact the team at SERVPRO to get on the job!

Tips On How To Prevent Home/Office Fires.

11/1/2023 (Permalink)

House burns down from kitchen fire.

Nobody wants to think about their home or office catching on fire.  Sometimes these things happen and they are totally out of our control, but there are a lot of things that we can do to help prevent them.

FEMA’s records show that just over half (50.2%) of residential fires are caused by cooking-related accidents.  The next three biggest reasons are Heating (9.3%), Electrical Malfunction (6.8%), and Intentional (4.5%). 

Here are a few things that you can do to help prevent a house fire and protect your family.

1.  Pay attention when cooking.  If you need to step out of the room, ask someone to watch the food until you get back, or turn off the stove and stop cooking.

2.  Test your smoke alarms regularly. 

3.  Check the dryers’ airflow.  Pull the lint trap and clean it every time you dry a load of clothes.

4.  Be careful with power cords and strips.  Attaching too many appliances to one power strip can draw more power than the cord is able to handle.  This can cause it to heat up and potentially catch on fire.

5.  Store flammable products away from heat sources.

6.  Place fire extinguishers in key locations around your house.  Make sure that everyone in the home knows how to properly use them.