Items That Can Be Contaminated By Fire Damage

1/17/2022 (Permalink)

Household fires can result in extensive damage to your home where you might have to end up engaging fire damage restoration services. Despite the ability to restore your home to almost as good as new with professional fire damage restoration services, other important items in your home such as documents and personal items would be devastated by the fire. Although suffering from household fire may not mean that every single thing in your property is destroyed, there may be some things inside that fortunately have been salvaged. However, some things that remains seemingly unscathed after a fire should still be thrown out due to contamination from fire damage. It is important for you to sort through all your belongings and throw out some things that might have been contaminated by fire damage.

Food

Whether it is perishable items or non-perishable food, all food items must be disposed of after a fire. Although some food items may appear to be in a good condition, it is impossible to tell what is present or growing in the bottles or cans after they have been exposed to high heat. Food could still be dangerous despite looking, smelling and tasting normal. Conversely, heat could also have activated bacteria and you may end up with food that taste bad and is dangerous when consumed. Food packed in foil, plastic or cardboard would absorb smoke and chemicals. The toxic fumes from the fire could also have contaminated foods in cans and jars even though they are sealed.

Medications

Many people are usually tempted to keep medication that have survived after a fire because they can be costly even if they are prescribed or bought from the counter. Like food, medications also can absorb smoke and contaminants from the fire which makes them potentially dangerous. The heat from the fire might also impact the effectiveness of the medications. Other than medications, cosmetics should be disposed of as they also easily absorb smoke and chemicals.

Burnt Textiles

Although a good restoration company is usually able to save textiles following a household fire, these textiles would usually have absorbed too much smoke to be sage to use. It is possible to remove the smell of smoke from clothing, bedding, furniture and rugs, but if such textiles have actually been burnt, they need to be discarded.

Paper Goods

Paper has a high ability to absorb smoke and chemicals not just from the fire but from fire extinguishers. If paper goods including paper plates and cups are used, the users might suffer from poisoning.

What You can do to Recover from a Fire

Every property owner should be well-prepared to not just prevent household fires from occurring but also to know what to do in the event this happens. Our team of experts and professionals here at SERVPRO of Lee & South Chatham Counties are licensed and well-trained to assist you in fire damage restoration services. Don’t suffer alone, let us help you to bring back your home even after suffering a household fire. Contact us now for any queries or to simply book an appointment with us today!