Critical Fire Damage Terms Defined

6/10/2016 (Permalink)

Things That You Can Do Vs. Things To Leave to Professionals After a Fire

In a lot of cases, residential fires and fire damage could be prevented by taking precautions such as cleaning the lint from your dryer vent or switching to fireless candles. There are three terms that are critical to remember when thinking about the risk of fire in your home. These are Prevention, Mitigation, and Restoration.

Fire Mitigation Explained

Mitigation is defined as the effort to lower the loss of both property and life in the event of a disaster by FEMA, or the Federal Emergency Management Association. It means action is taken to understand the risks and proactive measures that are taken to manage them, like acquiring insurance to help pay for the costs of fire restoration.

Fire Damage Restoration Explained

Fire damage restoration should be started as soon as the authorities have deemed that the property is safe. An acidic byproduct of fire, smoke is capable of staining and corroding surfaces such as counters and walls. Sometimes, steps which are taken to put out the fire can cause even more damage than the fire itself. This is why correct fire restoration deals with smoke, heat and water damage.

Things You can Do on Your Own

The very first thing you need to do is call for professional help by getting in touch with our team at SERVPRO. Then you need to open all the windows to get air moving and push smoke out of the rooms. Move your children and any pets to an environment that is smoke-free. Smoke has carcinogenic gasses which can affect their health. You can start with trusted neighbors for aid right away, and then move to a temporary home with family or friends until the fire restoration is completed. Empty your freezer and refrigerator if the power is out. After they are empty, prop open the door to keep odors from building up on the inside.

Lastly, take an inventory of the contents of your home. Make a list of any items which will need to be replaced. You should also document the damage with photographs as well. You’ll need copies for your insurance company, for your personal records and maybe even for the fire investigation authorities. It is a good idea to make up to five copies, so you have them just in case.

Leaving it to the Professionals

There are things you should not attempt on your own because of the risk of smoldering ash and toxic gasses. At SERVPRO, we have the right safety equipment so we can do the work without any risks. 

• Do not wipe down wood trim walls or furniture, or any other surface that is absorbent.
• Do not move or sit on upholstered furniture.
• Do not consume any food which was exposed to the fire’s extreme heat, including canned items.
• Do not turn on any systems in your home such as the air conditioner or the furnace.
• Keep away from electrical devices like stereos, appliances or TVs until after the SERVPRO can deem that it is safe.

Fire damage in Nashville needs to be handled by the professionals, so when you experience such an event, give us a call at SERVPRO of Madison/Goodlettsville at (615) 868-5324 right away so we can help you.