Restoring Homes Quickly After Kalispell Fire Damage

3/6/2023 (Permalink)

Fires can cause terrible smoke and soot damage after a fire in Kalispell. The technicians at SERVPRO have the equipment and know-how to handle it.

SERVPRO Helps All Phases of Fire Damage Recovery

As our offices' second most common callout, we must have suitable solutions to manage fire emergencies and their impact on a structure rapidly. Long contact times with post-fire effects can be detrimental and require more direct attention to restoration.

Addressing Kalispell fire damage requires the team to be ready for any obstacles and hurdles common to restoration and reconstruction. Our mobilization with the SERVPRO Green Fleet, and our expertise in setting up staging areas for faster distribution of equipment and products, help us improve recovery times for affected households.

Post-Fire Damage Threats

Fires and their combustion processes can create a volatile environment. In many cases, structure fires force occupants out temporarily so that insurance reconstruction and restoration can be completed. Even before much of the claims approval red tape and submitting necessary documentation, specific mitigative actions and emergency services can help. Some of the focal points of our earliest efforts include:

• Air Quality – This is the step taken to improve the environmental condition with HEPA air scrubbers. The objective is to trap and remove carcinogens, smoke particles, and other contaminants.
• Structural Damage – We must evaluate what portions of the house require attention, like controlled demolition or temporary construction.
• Standing Water – Extinguishment introduces high volumes of water into the structure that must be removed to continue the efficient restoration.

Protecting Contents from Harm

Contents get in the way of the restoration process and slow it down. Also, leaving personal belongings and sensitive materials in harm’s way causes damage that could have otherwise been avoided. Our SERVPRO IICRC FSRT-certified team attempts first to relocate at-risk contents elsewhere around the house where it is safe to be stored. Damaged belongings are relocated to our SERVPRO facility or staging areas for focused cleaning and recovery.

Soot and Smoke Damage

Multiple factors can impact the kind of restoration necessary, the required equipment, and how long cleanup will take. The most significant influential factor can be the type of smoke damage present in most situations. Soot can be a hazard regardless of the restoration approach, so filtration is needed to improve indoor air quality while surface cleaning strategies get underway. Smoke and fire damage can appear in three main ways:

• Wet Smoke – This is one of the most challenging types of smoke damage to clean because it results from lower temperatures, allowing billowing smoke that deposits soils on almost all surrounding surfaces.
• Dry Smoke – Higher heat fires that nearly burn structural materials completely result in thinner and more manageable residues on other surfaces. Many soils can be removed from the affected substrate using dry vacuums, brushes, and chemical sponges.
• Proteins – Kitchen fires are a common threat to residences, and in situations like grease fires, moist deposits can adhere to counters, cabinets, and walls. We use solvents to break down oily soils and preserve underlying materials.

Where Are Smoke Odors?

Physical smoke residues might be one of the more formidable obstacles, but another challenge of the fire damage restoration process is neutralizing harsh malodors. Combustion can impact dozens of material types, some of which produce compounds and offensive smells. Cleaning can reduce the severity of these odors in the structure, but thermal fogging and ozone can have the most direct and prolonged impact.

Kalispell fire damage incidents are among the most threatening and destructive situations when it happens to your property. It is vital to get professionals like our SERVPRO of Flathead County team moving as soon as possible to help with the limited timelines projected to preserve certain building materials and contents. Call us now at (406) 300-0435.