Post-Fire Care: Damage AFTER the Fire

10/5/2021 (Permalink)

Soot damage on the wall and contents from a toaster fire

Fire Damage

Fire damage is caused by the actual fire. This can include damage to the structure of the property. Often materials are melted and can ignite other materials with this type of damage. 

Fire damage can also produce different toxins, causing explosions or acting as an accelerant spreading the flames and causing additional damage. 

Water Damage

Water damage is mostly always present with fire damage because the flames must be extinguished. Often the damage caused by the sprinklers in a building is much more significant than the actual fire damage itself. 

Smoke Damage

Soot from a fire can be found in every room of a building that has been severely burned - even those rooms that the flames did not touch. Often homeowner's belongings, furniture, clothes in drawers, important documents, paintings, and more contents are completely covered in black soot. Some items are not salvageable…and the items that are salvageable have to be properly cleaned in a timely manner, or the soot can permanently destroy them. 

Mold Damage

After experiencing a house fire, the water damage must be professionally handled, because when it is not properly dried mold can grow. Mold is a toxin that can cause numerous potential health problems for those living in the property. It is important to make sure the water damage is taken care of by professionals like those at SERVPRO of Spartanburg County.