Fire is Not the Only Destructive force After a Fire

3/24/2021 (Permalink)

When a fire happens in your home or place of business, it's not always a total loss, but the mess that is left behind from the smoke/soot and putting out of the fire itself can make it seem like a total loss! Smoke gets into everything in your home/business and the odor that is left behind is awful. 

Smoke affects various materials in different ways. The temperature and type of fire can cause different forms of smoke that will damage your home in different ways. Smoke is actually made of small particles of the fire itself and is a toxic hot speck that damages the surfaces as it lands on it.

Not all fires are big fires, and not all smoke damage is caused by a direct fire. In fact, it's the fires that we don't think that much about, like smoke from a fire outside that sneaks into your home. This type of smoke damage can go unnoticed for a long time, all the while damaging the surface that it's on as well as leaving behind a lingering odor.

You may find yourself wanting to brave the mess yourself, BUT it's not always the safest for you to do on your own. If you have suffered a fire, chances are that the conditions are unsafe. The structure may be falling apart and the smoke damage combined with the water is very slippery.

Odds are that if a fire has occurred, there will be a need to secure the area and clean up the debris before a decision can be rendered on its safety.

Thankfully, SERVPRO of Rapid City can help with this. We have the equipment and experience to secure your home and get it ready for restoration.

Every fire presents its own set of circumstances and poses its own set of problems. A good process that is followed is:

• Emergency Contact (When you first call us).
• Inspection and Fire Damage Assessment.
• Immediate Board-Up and Roof Tarp Service (if needed)
• Water Removal and Drying (if water damage is present)
• Removal of Smoke and Soot from All Surfaces.
• Cleaning and Repair
• Restoration

Odor elimination is a big part of the restoration process as well. SERVPRO technicians are IICRC certified in odor removal.

Some odor removal basics are as follows

• Remove the source of the odor, i.e. burnt wood and building materials safely
• Cleanup begins and the deodorization begins. Smoke and soot residues can deposit on and even penetrate the various surfaces such as walls and ceilings. SERVPRO technicians clean
  different surfaces depending on the type of surface and residue deposited on it.
• Sealing if needed. Generally, sealing is not needed. But if the damage is extensive and the removal of the source is too expensive or impractical, it is the recommended option.

If you believe that you have unchecked smoke damage or have lingering odors, give us a call today at (605) 388-3000 and we'll gladly come and serve you or your business.