Category: Smoke & Fire Damage

The Ultimate Guide To Fire Safety In Your Home

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home fires, home fire safety, fire safety, fire mitigation, fire mitigation services

The Ultimate Guide To Fire Safety In Your Home

Practicing fire safety is something every family should do at one point or another. Home fires can happen to anyone. In this ultimate guide, learn how you and your family can prevent home fires, escape from a home fire, and recover after a home fire.

Prevention:

  1. Install Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms are important to have on every level of your home. They are designed to help alert you when there’s a fire emergency somewhere in your house.

  1. Test Smoke Alarms

It’s not enough to just have smoke alarms – you want to make sure they work. According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost three of every five home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms (41%) or no working smoke alarms (16%).

  1. Practice Safety At All Times

Whether you’re in the kitchen cooking, moving furniture, or your kids are playing, always make sure to practice fire safety at all times. Some best practices include:

  • Keeping an eye on the kitchen when you’re cooking
  • Keeping anything that could catch fire away from any type of heat source
  • Never smoking in bed
  • Keeping matches and lighters locked away from children
  • Making sure appliances are plugged safely into wall outlets

Escape:

Even if you’ve taken prevention measures, fires can still happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone. In the event there is a fire in your home, get out and stay out. Here are some tips to remember!

  1. Come Up with an Escape Plan

It’s always a good idea to have an escape plan before you need to use an escape plan. Sit down with your family and discuss what you’d do if there was a house fire – including your children. Plan two different escape routes, draw your home floor plan for visualization and agree on a meeting place after everyone has safely escaped.

  1. Grab People and Pets First, Belongings Last

Some of the items in your home probably are filled with memories and the thought of losing them is devastating. But before you consider picking up that old photo album or grandma’s old jewelry, make sure everyone – including your pets – are out of the house safely.

  1. Don’t Panic and Call 911

Panicking in times of need can cloud your judgment and cause forgetfulness. The best thing you can do in a situation like this is to not panic. Call 911 immediately, make sure your family is out of the house and remember to take a deep breath.

Recover:

After a house fire, you may feel in shock, overwhelmed, and unsure how you’ll ever recover. At RestoPros, we know this can be a troubling and emotional time for you and that’s why we’re proud to offer fire mitigation services you can count on. Let’s get you back to normal as quickly and as stress-free as possible.

Our fire mitigation services include:

  • Fire damage restoration
  • Smoke damage
  • Soot removal
  • Deodorization and sanitation
  • Removal of charred items and debris
  • Water extraction and drying
  • Content pack out and storage

We do it all for you so you can focus on your family and getting through this troubling time. If you’re ever in a fire damage situation and need a helping hand, call RestoPros at 855-587-3786 or contact us online.

What to Do Immediately After Fire Damage

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What to Do Immediately After Fire Damage

Knowing what to do before a fire is already complicated enough. Handling things during and much less after a fire even more so. These aren’t events that a lot of us will have to deal with in our lifetimes. And although the severity and devastation vary from case to case, it’s obviously never a pleasant experience to go through. If you’ve been put in the unfortunate position of having to handle the aftermath of a fire, here’s a checklist that hopefully helps you get things back on track!

 

Safety

 

The first and foremost concern is obviously safety. If you haven’t already contacted emergency services, you should do so. It may seem obvious from an outside perspective, but the overwhelming number of thoughts flying around in someone’s head after something like this may cloud their decision making. Responders will tell you if your home is safe to be in at all, what parts aren’t if any, and hazardous conditions to watch out for. The last thing you need after a fire is having you or a family member take a fall through a fire-damaged home that is no longer structurally sound.

 

Insurance

 

The next step is contacting any insurance you may have on the home and getting the claim process started. This will potentially help in finding temporary housing, and at least start the process for putting you in touch with qualified professionals and a checklist of next steps in order to resolve the situation as soon as possible.

 

Security

 

The next step, unfortunately, is to secure your home. It’s quite common to have looting happen after a fire occurs in a home. A point should be made to secure the home as safely and reasonably as possible and contact a qualified restoration company to further secure the residence. Aside from having a physical presence on the property which drastically reduces the chance that someone will attempt to enter the residence, they can board up any windows, doors, or openings used to typically gain access to the property.

 

Call RestoPros for Fire Damage Restoration

 

Once these vital steps have been resolved, the restoration company will assess the area for damage, hazards, and potentially walk you through the property to explain what next steps need to be taken in order to restore your home to its previous condition.

 

It may feel overwhelming, and rightfully so. But try and break things down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Once you’ve got the safety of you and your family under control, starting the next steps towards recovery is a great next move. After that, make sure the house is safe from further damage and loss, and have the experts come and take a look to start the process of recovery and restoration.

 

If that’s the step that you’re in now, or even if you just had more questions about the process, give RestoPros a call today with any questions, concerns, or if you’d like to set up an appointment to get on the road to restoration!

How Does Smoke Affect Homes and Building Materials?

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How Does Smoke Affect Homes and Building Materials

We learn pretty early on that fire is dangerous. We know that so well, in fact, we sometimes forget all about smoke. Did you know that smoke is significantly more problematic for both people and structures compared to fire? It’s true. Smoke is the leading cause of deaths related to fire – three times over the flames themselves. Breathing in smoke is terrible for your respiratory system, but it’s also really bad for your property as well. But how does smoke affect homes and building materials?

How Does Smoke Affect Homes and Building Materials?

Ceiling

Typically, the ceiling directly above a fire is going to have the highest concentration of smoke residue. Assuming there weren’t any strong air currents to disrupt the smoke, it would continue to rise and collect straight upwards.

Walls

Since hot air rises and cold air sinks, this provides the opportunity for smoke to be pushed to the exterior walls of a room as well, this means further damage to higher points of exterior windows and walls.

Enclosed Spaces

Dressers, closets, furniture, behind drapes or blinds – these don’t seem like places that something like smoke would infiltrate, but it happens. As air cools down, particles floating on the wind stream fall down onto nearby surfaces, this means that heat may have carried debris into some seemingly enclosed spaces and deposited debris there.

Ductwork

Even though your HVAC system may not have been on, you’ll probably still find some soot and smoke damage within the ducts. Just like liquid, smoke will take the path of least resistance. This means as it billows into the ceiling and runs out of space in a room, it’ll be pulled into the vents and come to rest in the cooler ductwork of your home.

Synthetic Materials

Aside from your standard smoke, you’ve got to consider just how much synthetic materials exist in homes these days. This adds a whole new level of complexity as to the danger you face when breathing in the already dangerous smoke and soot leftover after a fire. These types of chemicals can cause all sorts of short- and long-term health issues down the road.

General Property Damage

Health issues notwithstanding, the property itself has received substantial damage as well. You will find that fabrics and upholstery like carpet, rugs, curtains, and clothing have become discolored. Furniture will likely be damaged at the very least, if not warped or completely destroyed. Walls and ceilings will be stained and warped, and windows will likely be discolored. Plants and potting can become contaminated with toxins, and concrete may crack from the sudden dehydration and high heat exposure. Wood will obviously be damaged, if not seriously discolored and in need of restoration. Highly acidic soot can potentially corrode exposed metal as well.

Call RestoPros for Smoke Damage Services

Smoke damage within a home can cause short- and long-term health issues, destroy or alter almost any interior surface, breach any non-airtight locations and reduce the value of homes significantly. So, don’t underestimate the damage smoke can do! Call RestoPros at 855-587-3786 today!

From the Ashes: How to Recover from a House Fire

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How to Recover from a House Fire

Preparing for some of the worst things in life can throw at you is always a good idea, and little can be more frightening or devastating than a house fire. Beyond the initial incident, trying to get back to normal after the fact is a daunting experience all its own. Here we’ll discuss some fundamental things to do in order to save yourself as much headache as possible (under the circumstances). Here’s how to recover from a house fire:

Emergency Steps

It sounds like common sense, but even the most obvious things can go missed when we’re under pressure. Obviously get the fire under control, contact emergency help and make sure everyone gets out of the house. Things can be repaired and replaced, people not so much!

Once the immediate risks are resolved, it’s time for acknowledgement and acceptance. It’s okay to grieve, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and lost. This is an incredibly disruptive event, and the aftermath is no short process. Much like making sure everyone is okay physically, make sure you’re okay mentally before worrying about what furnished your living room.

Secure Living Arrangements

Depending on the severity of the fire, it may not be possible to go back home for some time. It may be at least a few days and even small fires must be inspected and cleaned before the property is suitable for living in once again. It may be as simple as staying with family or friends, if that isn’t possible seeking out local disaster relief can assist in temporary housing, and finally it may be something your insurance company offers you, depending on your coverage.

Call Your Insurance Company

Speaking of insurance, once you’ve had a chance to catch your breath and take stock, it’s time to take that step forward on restoring what was lost. Give the claims department of your insurance company a call and set up a claim with them. The fire itself, the resulting smoke, the water used to extinguish it, and the damage caused by firefighters all create potential opportunities for further damage, either by the natural or criminal elements. Alleviating security concerns and mitigating water damage can drastically improve the turnaround time on fire restoration and help you get as much covered under insurance as possible.

Where RestoPros Comes In

After your insurance company authorizes you to contact a restoration company a call. Preventing and mitigating further damage from water and elements is the single most important component of restoring your home. A response team will prevent mold, mildew, secure openings, pump or dry water out of the property and help ventilate the home. All this will help remove and prevent toxic fumes and dangerous conditions along with negating further damage to your residence. If the unthinkable has happened, trust emergency responders to handle the fire, then call the experts at RestoPros to get started on restoring your home today!

What to Do During a Grease Fire

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what to do during a grease fire

Having a hot, home-cooked meal is great, but calling the fire department to stop your house from burning down? Not so much. It’s easy to get distracted in the kitchen with so many things going on, and sometimes accidents happen. If you’ve ever had a grease fire (or wondered what to do in the event of one), you’ve come to the right place. The experts at RestoPros are about to run down the list of best practices of prevention, mitigation, and restoration! Here’s what to do during a grease fire:

How to PREVENT a Grease Fire

The best way to handle a crisis is to avoid it entirely. Having something that creates intense heat, like a stovetop in a kitchen, is a recipe for disaster if left unattended or handled without due caution. If you’re ever cooking with oil, try and adhere to the following simple precautions:

  • Don’t leave things unattended. The leading culprit of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.
  • Clear flammable items from the stovetop area. Cloth and paper towels, oily items, containers filled with oil, etc. do not react well to a glowing hot metal coil or flame burner.
  • Try to avoid placing overly moist foods into hot oil. Water and oil don’t mix well. Wet, oily foods can at least cause an unpleasant splashing in the immediate area, and at most cause a type of spillover of steam vapor and oil. In that case, they may come into direct contact with heating elements, causing an almost instant fireball.
  • Heat oil slowly, and add food slowly. This will easily prevent oil from overheating and splashing out onto unintended areas.
  • If you see smoke or smell an acrid odor, turn the burner off. Smoke means oil is burning. Every type of oil can burn, and the temperature at which oil ignites is called its flash point. You can check the flash point of the oil if you’d like, but smoking oil or an acrid scent is a helpful warning. Carefully remove the pot or pan and wait for it to cool before continuing.

Being present in the kitchen and having awareness of heating elements is 90% of the battle!

What to Do During a Grease Fire

If you’re ever in the unfortunate situation of handling a grease fire, it’s okay! There’s still plenty that can be done to keep it contained.

First, let’s talk about the things that should NOT be done:

What Not to Do During a Grease Fire

  • DO NOT put water on a grease fire! It’s a rather intuitive response. Everyone knows fire doesn’t like water. The fastest way to kill a flame is to douse it in water, but grease fires would be an extreme exception to that rule. Dropping water onto a grease fire will cause a massive fireball of flaming oil that has the potential to ignite everything in the vicinity.
  • DO NOT swat a grease fire with a towel or cloth. This action will fan the flame and spread the fire at best, and at worst catch the towel on fire.
  • DO NOT try and move an item that has a grease fire in/on it. Tossing a pan or pot into a sink might seem like a good idea. A sink won’t catch fire after all, and the fire can burn itself out in the comfort of its new stainless-steel home. The problem is all the things between you and the sink—like rugs, carpet, curtains, towels, cabinets, countertops and what you’re wearing—might not be. Trying to quickly but calmly carry a hot, sudden fireball at arm’s length, without splashing droplets of flammable oil, isn’t impossible … but it certainly isn’t easy.

Now, let’s cover what SHOULD be done:

What You Should Do During a Grease Fire

  • Turn the burner off, so no more heat can add to the problem.
  • Place a metal lid on the item to starve the fire of oxygen. If you can’t find the lid, a baking sheet or another pot or pan can snuff it out.
  • Use baking soda or salt to smother the fire. Do not use flour or baking powder, as they will have dangerously worse effects.
  • Have a chemical extinguisher handy.
  • Get everyone out of the building if the fire becomes too much to handle and call 9-1-1. Things can be replaced. People can’t. Let the professionals handle putting out the fire!

How to Restore a Home After Fire Damage

Speaking of professionals, if you’re ever in the unfortunate position of dealing with the consequences of a fire, you should give RestoPros a call. They’ve got the training and track record to handle the unique problem of restoring a home damaged by smoke and fire. You don’t have to deal with the sights and smells, and you definitely don’t have to go it alone. Give RestoPros a call today!

Holiday Fire Safety

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Holiday Fire SafetySmoke damage is, in most cases, permanent.  While there are things you can do to fix your home after a fire or to replace damage from smoke and heat, the best way to deal with smoke and fire damage is to prevent it in the first place.  During the winter, most home fires come from damaged gas pipes, dry trees, and unwatched fireplaces but the most common cause of home fires is the portable space heater.

Home Fire Safety

If you’re going to buy a real tree for Christmas, don’t start early.  Buy the tree close to Christmas and don’t keep it for longer than two weeks.  Make sure that you keep it watered to keep the tree green and wet.  Dry Christmas Trees are a fire hazard, and draping incandescent string lights on them can lead to heating issues and a possible fire.  Always keep your tree far from any flame or heat source.  Use LED Christmas lights if you can.

Never leave a fireplace fire unmonitored either.  Cheery, warm, and perfect for marshmallows or simply a family gathering, the fireplace is enchanting.  But an unchecked fire can burn too hot or leave embers that pop out.  Keep a fire extinguisher nearby just in case and make sure that anything flammable is more than three feet away from the fireplace.

You should do a similar thing for your central heating system.  The basement or the area around your furnace may have been a great place to store stuff during the summer, but now that colder weather has arrived you want to clear that area out.  Boxes of old tax returns or anything flammable should be at least three feet away from your furnace.  That furnace is going to get hot, and nearby boxes are prime target for starting a blaze.  Check any floor vents you may have in your home as well.  Keep flammable items away and keep furniture from blocking vents.

If your home is heated with a gas furnace, have the system inspected for leaks or damage.  An annual maintenance for your heating system is a good way to detect flaws that could lead to fires and smoke.

Finally, always monitor any portable space heaters in your home.  They may be cheaper than your central heating system, but they are still dangerous if unwatched.  Newer space heaters are safer, but a pet or child can easily knock them over.  Always keep the front of your space heater clear for at least three feet.  Flammable materials such as clothing, curtains, or bedding should always be cleared away when using a space heater.

Update Smoke Alarms

The last preventative measure is an early warning system.  Your best chance to save your home and protect your family is with an early warning from a smoke or fire alarm.  Place at least one smoke alarm on the ceiling.  For added safety, make sure you place them:

  • On every floor of your house
  • In major hallways
  • In rooms with a heat source (furnace room, fireplace, etc)
  • In every bedroom

Consider using interconnected fire alarms, that way when one triggers, every alarm will sound.

Don’t forget to follow RestoPros on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ for new Updates, News, and Discounts

How to Clean Smoke Damage

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How to Clean Smoke DamageSmoke is obvious.  Smoked meat and cheese has a very deep flavor to it that is unique enough for some to be able to answer what type of wood was used when the meat was smoked.  All smoke is like this.  The scents and effects of smoke, whether it’s deliberate in cooking, a side-effect of smoking, or the damage caused by a small fire in the home, are always noticeable.

Here’s the problem: any fire in your home fills the room with smoke.  Small fires or controlled fires, such as a burnt meal or a warm fireplace, release some smoke but rarely release enough to damage surfaces.  But small out of control fires can lead to deposited soot, charring on the walls, objects permeated with the smells of smoke.  But not all is lost, while most damage will require replacement, there are a few things you can do to fix smoke damage.

Cleaning the Walls

First, if the damage is just a light layer of soot that’s been deposited on the walls, it’s possible to clean it off.  A car sponge, warm water, and Trisodium Phosphate Cleaner (TSP) are effective for cleaning the discoloration caused by soot.  TSP is a very harsh cleaning fluid so you will need gloves, goggles, and a mask while washing down the affected areas.  Sensitive materials are not going to respond well to TSP either which may lead to need a replacement of wallpaper.

Create a solution of 1 tablespoon of TSP to 1 gallon of warm water.  Use a sponge to clean the walls and surfaces vigorously then use a damp rag (clean water only) to rings the area.  Continue this process until the soot and damage has been removed.  Be cautious, you don’t want to let water seep into cracks and baseboards where it can damage drywall or lead to mold.

If the problem is deeper than just a discoloration (or repeated cleanings with TSP don’t seem to clear away the discoloration), it’s time to replace the damage.  Charred paint will need to be stripped so that the wall can be primed and painted once again.  Walls that have bubbled up and blistered are going to need to be repaired or replaced entirely.  The heat from fire and smoke can permanently damage paints and finishes leading to warped walls, molding, and surfaces.  Unfortunately, most of this will simply need to be replaced.

Dealing with the Smoke Smells

Smoke, like most odors, is fought by removing the source of the smell and clearing the air.  Scented candles and other air fresheners simply add a scent to the air that will mix and eventually smell worse than the original smoke odor.  Rather than adding to the mix, de-odorize first.

Vinegar is a natural deodorizer.  Use it to clean surfaces, floors, carpets, and even furniture (once it’s been diluted) to remove smoke scents from everything in your home.  Leave out a few bowls of vinegar to help absorb airborne odors.

Baking Soda makes a great alternative (obviously don’t mix both of these at the same time).  Spread baking soda on carpets and leave it for an hour or so to absorb the odor.  Then vacuum the powder back up and repeat as needed.

Activated charcoal is, without a doubt, the strongest deodorizer around.  Placing packets and bowls of powdered charcoal around the room will help to remove the smoke scent.  This is a little more expensive than vinegar or baking soda, but is typically a stronger method.

Fresh air is your next recourse once the source of the smell has been removed.  Cycling clean air into the room and removing the odor-laden atmosphere is key to refreshing any room.

Aerosol deodorizers come with their own baggage but will do in a pinch.  If you need to clear the odor from a room fast, get a spray deodorizer to help clear out the air quickly.

Don’t forget to follow RestoPros on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ for new Updates, News, and Discounts!

A Homeowner’s Guide to Setting Up Home Fire Restoration

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One of the most stressful situations a homeowner may experience is dealing
with the aftermath of a house fire. If you find yourself in this situation—hopefully,
you never have or will—you want to know that you’re hiring
the right people to help you through the process of rebuilding and restoring
your home. Here’s a brief overview on how to set up home restoration in Plano, which should include water damage restoration and mold removal.

Hire a Reputable Professional

Home restoration requires a lot of time and work, so be sure to hire a
reputable professional who has years of experience performing fire and
water damage repair. Do your research! Read customer reviews that are
available online and check all references.

fire

Clean Up What You Can

After the fire trucks have left and the smoke clears, and once you get
over the initial shock from the fire, it’s time to get to work.
You need to assess the situation and come up with a plan. First off, go
through the areas that have been affected by the fire and clean up what
you can. Collect all of your personal items that are salvageable. When
cleaning, be sure you protect yourself by wearing dust masks, gloves,
and eye protection if need.

Invest in In-Depth Cleaning

If you’re not up to the task of cleaning, hire a professional to
do it for you. Walls, floors, and upholstery need to be vacuumed and wiped
down as soon as possible. Clothing and fabrics need to be laundered, and
the exterior of your house that has been affected by the fires has to
be power washed. The sooner the cleanup occurs, the better—as well
as cheaper. Fire and smoke damage can cause more damage to your home and
household items the longer they’re allowed to settle. Though counterintuitive,
you also need to take care of water damage and mold since large amounts
of water are used to put out fires.

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