Types of Commercial Fire Damage Caused by Small Fires

9/26/2017 (Permalink)

Types of Commercial Fire Damage Caused by Small Fires

The number one cause of fires striking commercial buildings is an overloaded circuit breaker or outlet. An outlet can only accommodate so many devices before it will give up. When plugging too many devices into a single outlet, that outlet can catch on fire and cause an electrical fire to spread along the inside and outside of any neighboring walls. A utility room fire can cause just as much commercial fire damage, even if the fire was on the smaller side. The types of fire damage that the building experiences and the fire restoration work needed will range based on the methods used to extinguish the flames and how far the fire spread.

Soot Damage

Soot damage is extremely common after a commercial fire in a utility room or another space. In the same way that burning a candle causes black soot to rise and cling to the ceiling, a burning fire can cause soot damage as the flames rise. The damage will rise higher than the maximum height of the flames though because the oxygen in the building will push the soot up. Soot damage may appear on the baseboards and floorboards as well as along the crown molding and ceiling.

Smoke Damage

While soot refers to the black ash and other debris on the wall, smoke damage refers to any smoke in the room or building. Smoke often penetrates into wood surfaces and other types of material. Any furniture in the room will require extensive cleaning with proper chemicals to remove the smoke smell from the wood. The same chemicals can reduce the smoke damage and smoky odors clinging to carpets and other types of flooring.

Fire Suppression Damage

Many commercial buildings feature either a fire suppression or fire sprinkler system. Most owners do not realize that those systems offer both protection and some problems. The chemicals use in a fire suppression system keep the flames from moving until a fire truck and firefighter can use a fire hose at the scene, but those chemicals can cause some significant utility room fire damage as well. Depending on how quickly the system reacts, the fire damage may spread beyond its starting point or allow the smoke and ash to spread. With a fire sprinkler system, the water used can create a musty and dank odor that surrounds the building.

Water Damage

While most building owners look forward to seeing a fire truck racing down the street after a fire, the fire hose that a firefighter connects to that truck can cause more fire damage and water damage. The water that fire hose produces may drip deep into the floorboards and make those boards warp and become structurally unsound. That water can also cause damage to any rooms beneath where the hoses sprayed the water. Fire restoration techniques can fix some of the water damage caused by a fire hose.

A standard firefighter goes through hours of training to learn how to avoid smoke damage when battling an electrical fire and what to do when dealing with a utility room fire. That firefighter as well as the fire truck brought to the scene can make soot damage and fire damage worse. The owners of buildings suffering from commercial fire damage also need to look at what fire restoration needs done due to the chemicals or water used by a fire sprinkler system or a fire suppression method.

Commercial fire damage can occur in an electrical fire in a single room or in an entire building. No matter how much restoration work a building needs, fire restoration experts can help. They can come to a scene and start working as soon as the fire truck leaves. Their years of experience help them clean any type of fire damage caused by a fire sprinkler system or any fire suppression methods used to put out an electrical fire or a utility room fire. Visit http://www.SERVPROlevittown.com for more information on fire damage.