FACT.

Even a small fire can cause odors in your home for years to come. 

Any fire in your home is bad. But when you try to clean it up yourself, it can be a disaster. Especially considering that smoke and soot from even a small fire can cause odors that may resurface for years. So, before you risk doing more damage by attempting to clean it up yourself, call us, your local fire, smoke and soot cleanup and restoration experts at SERVPRO.

Photo Credit: http://nocleaning.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/32047941.jpg

Educating Kids about Fire

Have you educated your kids about fire safety? Do you know how to talk about fire safety with your kids? 

Here are a few tips:

-Keep matches and lighters in a secured drawer or cabinet.

-Have your children tell you when they find matches and lighters.

-Develop a home fire escape plan. Practice it with your children and designate a meeting place outside.

-Supervise young children closely. Do not leave them alone even for short periods of time.

-Take the mystery out of fire by teaching children that fire is a tool, not a toy.

-Teach children the nature of fire. It is FAST, HOT, DARK and DEADLY!

-Demonstrate how to stop, drop to the ground and roll if their clothes catch fire.

-Show children how to crawl low on the floor, below the smoke, to get out of the house and stay out in the case of fire.

-Teach children not to hide from firefighters, but to get out quickly and call for help. 

-Denea Duran

Smoke 101

Fire damages are complex due to the unique nature of different types of smoke. Some things you may not know about smoke.

-Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.

-Smoke flows around plumbing systems, using holes around pipes to go from floor to floor.

-They type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

-Once at a fire scene, a SERVPRO Professional tests the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred.

Types of Smoke:

Wet Smoke Residues: result from smoldering fires with low heat. Residues are sticky and smeary with a pungent odor. Smoke webs can be difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke Residues: result from fast burning fires at high temperatures. Residues are normally dry, powdery, small, nonsmeary smoke particles.

Protein Residues: are virtually invisible residues that discolor paints and varnishes. They have an extreme pungent odor.

Fuel Oil Soot:  occur when furnances puff back, distributing fuel oil soot.

Other Types of Residue: include tear gas, fingerprint powder and fire extinguisher residues, all requiring cleanup. 

For more information: http://www.servprolexingtonsc.com/fire-smoke-damage-restoration

-Denea Duran

Photo Credit: Google Image

Carpets to Catastrophes

Do you want to know what exactly we do?

• Fire, Smoke and Soot Cleanup and Restoration
• Water Removal and Dehumidification
• Crime Scene, Biohazard and Vandalism Cleanup
• Mold Migiation and Remediation
• Contents Claim, Inventory Service
• Air Ducts and HVAC Cleaning
• Carpet and Hard Floor Cleaning and Care
• Stain Removal, Stain Resistance Applications
• Odor Identification and Deodorization
• Upholstery and Drapes: Wet or Dry Cleaning Methods

-Over 40 years of experience as a leading fire and water cleanup and restoration provider.
-A SERVPRO Franchise is nearby- more than 1,500 Franchise nationwide.
-More locations for faster responses. A uniformed technician will arrive on-site usually within four hours of notification.
-Quick response time to help ensure the damage is contained and the restoration process begins promptly.
-Large loss capabilities- no fire or water damage is too big.


-Denea Duran

Servpro of Cayce/West Columbia /Lexington

SERVPRO NATIONAL AFFLIATIONS

IICRC- Institue of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification

RIA- Restoration Industry Association

BSCA- Building Service Contractors Association International

CSI- Community Assocation International

BOMA- Building Owners and Managers Association


SERVPRO of CAYCE/WEST COLUMBIA/ LEXINGTON SYSTEM SERVICES

Restoration

• Fire, Smoke and Soot
• Water Removal and Dehumidification
• Mold Mitigation and Remediation
• Catastrophic Storm Response
• Move Outs and Contents Restoration
• Electronics and Equipment
• Document Drying
• Contents Claim Inventory Service

Cleaning:

• Air Ducts and HVAC
• Biohazzard, Crime Scene and Vandalism
• Carpet, Upholstery, Drapes and Blinds
• Ceilings, Walls and Hard Floors
• Deodorization

Call us for all of your needs 803-75-9774

Fire Damage Tips

“When fire and water take control of your life we help you take it back”



Many times when a tragedy strikes our first state is shock. Your first responsibility as a home owner is to contact SERVPRO of Cayce/West Columbia & Lexington. (803)755-9774.

SERVPRO Professionals understand your home is more than four walls. Your home includes your memories and personal belongings. Our SERVPRO response team is trained in caring for both you and your home.

Do:

*Limit movement in the home to prevent soot particles from spreading and additional damage from occurring.

*Place clean towels or old linens on rugs and high traffic areas and upholstery.

*Coat chrome faucets, trim and appliances with petroleum jelly or oil.

*Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpet.

Do Not:

*Wash any walls or painted surfaces.

*Shampoo carpet or upholstery.

*Clean any electrical equipment.

*Send clothing to dry cleaner since improper cleaning may set smoke odor.

Photo Credit: google.com

-Denea Duran

Limiting Fire Damage

Although kitchen fires generally begin on the stove, the damage can affect the entire kitchen, from the walls to the ceilings and the air ducts to the appliances. Once the fire is out, you may be overwhelmed or devastated by the smoke and soot damage.

First, contact your local SERVPRO (Heyo! 803-755-9774) Franchise Professional. Then, follow these steps to help prevent further damage:

• Limit movement to prevent further damage.


• Place clean towels or old linens on carpeted traffic areas to prevent additional soiling.


• It electricity is off, empty freezer and refrigerator and prop doors open.


• Clean and protect chrome on kitchen and bathroom faucets and appliances with a light coating of petroleum jelly.

Here at SERVPRO, we are trained in the cleanup and care of your customers' homes and personal belongings following a fire incident. Before you attempt to clean up the fire damage yourself, give us a call.

Sandy Hayden

Photo Credit: http://blog.tvfr.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Kearney-Kitchen-Fire-300x225.jpg

The Big 3.

When it comes to fire, smoke, and soot restoration... we've got some all star services. I like to call them The Big 3.

1. Structural Cleaning -- After a smoke or fire damage, ceilings, walls, woodwork, carpeting and floors will often need a thorough cleaning. Your experienced local SERVPRO Professional will pretest to determine the extent of damage, and then use the specific equipment and cleaning products required to clean and protect the different types of surfaces found in your structure. Depending on the amount of soot, we may even be able to reduce the cost of recovery by cleaning lighter soot deposits found on some surfaces, eliminating the expense incurred with repainting or refinishing. In other cases, we will clean to "prepare for painting." This process deodorizes and ensures the new paint will adhere properly to the surface.

2. Contents Cleaning -- All of the restorable contents in affected areas will be profesionally cleaned and deodorized. This includes area rugs, furniture, draperies and upholstery. We begin by carefully inspecting and testing all fabrics in the structure to determine which cleaning methods are most appropriate. We can provide wet or dry cleaning services. Additionally, all the other restorable contents will be cleaned and deodorized to preloss condition. This includes electronics, art, wood furniture, kitchen items, clothing, bedding, bric-a-brac and much more. Finally, we can provide an inventory list of all "to be claimed" items if requested.

3. Deodorization -- We provide specialized services that rid your home or place of business of offensive odors left by fire or smoke damage. We do not merely cover up lingering odors with a fragrance, rather we seek out the sources of the odor and remove them. Ask us to explain the various deodorization methods available and which will work best for you!

Sandy Hayden

The Right Stuff

Yesterday we talked about mold cleanup and the overwhelming importance of calling a professional. This is mainly because professional equipment does far more extensive cleanup than is possible with household products. We understand that our equipment makes a measurable difference in reducing claims loss expense. When time matters, the right technology and equipment are vital. So not only do we answer your call with fast action and trained, uniformed personnel, but also with the right equipment for the job!

When it comes to fire damage, we train our teams thorougly. For instance, knowing the different types of smoke and their behavior patterns are vital to proper restoration.

Wet Smoke -- Plastics and Synthetics; Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary.
Dry Smoke -- Paper and Wood; Fast burning, high temperatures, dry, powdery, nonsmeary residues.
Protein -- Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor.
Fuel Oil Soot -- Furnace Puff Backs
Other Types -- Tear gas, fingerprint powder and fire extinguisher residue.

Pretesting determines the proper cleaning method and allows us to focus on saving your precious items (what really matters).

Two amazing pieces of deodorization equipment include ultra low volume (ULV) foggers and thermal foggers. ULV foggers will atomize liquid deodorizing agents, producing a fine mist that easily penetrates sites where odor-causing residues accumulate. The device can also be used to apply fungicides and disinfectants. Thermal foggers dispense solvent-based products in large volume, dense fogs suitable for confined areas. The fog consists of tiny particles of deodorant solution that pair with and neutralize odor-causing particles.

We've got the right stuff.

Sandy Hayden

Fact:

Even a small fire can cause odors in your home for years to come. Any fire in your home is bad. But when you try to clean it up yourself, it can be a disaster. Especially considering that smoke and soot from even a small fire can cause odors that may resurface for years. So, before you risk doing more damage by attempting to clean it up yourself, call us, your local fire, smoke and soot cleanup and restoration experts at SERVPRO.

Photo Credit: http://nocleaning.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/32047941.jpg

Talking Business: Damage Lingers Even When Smoke Clears

Let's talk business. In the corporate world, office downtime can mean bad news for a company. Especially following a devastating fire, the days and weeks that a company's doors are shut mean money lost that may not be recouped. In addition to the loss in productivity, it is not hard to imagine what could become of millions of dollars of computers and other office equipment, having been enveloped in smoke and doused in water.

Expensive electronic equipment is not the only thing damaged when exposed to water and smoke. Conference rooms, tables, chairs, carpeted floors, art, lamps and other employee possessions are among the many office components at risk for fire and water damage. In fact, a fire can and sometimes does mean an untimely end to a once successful business. These critical moments require immediate attention from specialists trained in fire and water restoration. Fast response time can be step one in the eventual recovery of a business.

When we get a call from a business owner who has experienced a fire, we know they are experiencing a whirlwind of fear, frustration and anxiety, which is why we get on site as fast as we can to assess the damage and get to work. SERVPRO is a nationally franchised professional fire and water cleanup and restoration company in Greater Columbia. We also provide professional pack-outs, relocating any damaged documents or equipment to a cleaner environment so they can be restored to preloss condition.

Restoration companies trained in this type of cleanup must also be familiar with the inner workings of the insurance industry. SERVPRO works with agents and adjusters to quickly settle claims and achieve high customer satisfaction. The work that we do to restore equipment and materials, as opposed to replacing them, saves the insurance industry a lot of money each year.

Few companies are able to efficiently get in there and clean electronics after a fire. We happen to be one of them. There are a series of steps we take to ensure that electronics and important documents are properly cleaned and restored. Of course, we can also professional clean the carpets and other saturated items. Chairs may not be expensive compared to computers, but if you have 100 chairs that are soaking wet, the cost of replacement can be quite high. When customers see our green trucks on site, they can rest assured that "green means clean."

*Photo credit: http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Photography/Images/POD/p/pines-fire-blair-444449-xl.jpg

Sandy Hayden

The Facts on Wildfires and What You Can Do

From coast to coast, wildfires across the country have been making national news. Thousands of acres, homes and businesses have suffered and even faced destruction in lights of these flames.

Southern California isn’t the only area of the country that faces this threat. In 2008, 29 states had more than 10,000 acres scorched by wildfires, as a total of 5.2 million acres burned across the country. In fact, South Carolina ranked number 8 in the nation for number of wildfires in 2008. Though thousands of wildfires are started every year by natural causes—lightning strikes for example—many more are man-made disasters. Returning to the 2008 statistics, 8.856 fires were attributed to lightning strikes, while humans caused 70,093 fires.* Man-made wildfires can be more dangerous than natural fires, because they tend to occur in more populated areas.

Through we may never be able to eliminate wildfires, there are steps we can take to help lessen the danger of damage to our homes and businesses. As a National Preparedness Coalition member, your local SERVPRO Franchise Professional encourages you to follow these safety tips, courtesy of FEMA.

• Always build fires away from nearby trees or shrubs.


• Create a 30-foot safety zone around the house or business, clearing all flammable and combustible objects.


• Remove debris from under decks and inside gutters.


• Prune branches and shrubs within 15 feet of chimneys and stove pipes.


• Replace highly flammable vegetation such as pine, eucalyptus, junipers and fir trees with lower growing, less flammable species. Check with your local garden store or fire department for suggestions.


• Use fire-resistant siding.

*Statistics provided by the National Interagency Fire Center.

Sandy Hayden

Oil Fires: From Unattended Bacon to Explosive Fireballs

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQQtswe-a7s?hl=en&fs=1&w=425&h=349]

Water, being heavier than oil, sinks to the bottom of a pan of grease where it heats to dangerous temperatures instantly. The explosive force of the steam blows the burning oil out of the pan. This can result in fireballs launching even thirty feet up in the air. Sugar and flour are other dangers to oil fires, as one cup of either creates the explosive force of two sticks of dynamite.

Know Your Smoke 101

Fire damages are complex due to the unique nature of different types of smoke. Some things you may not know about smoke:

• Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.


• Smoke flows around plumbing systems, using holes around pipes to go from floor to floor.


• The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

Once at a fire scene, a SERVPRO Professional tests the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred.

Types of Smoke:

• Wet Smoke Residues result from smoldering fires with low heat. Residues are sticky and smeary with a pungent odor. Smoke webs can be difficult to clean.


• Dry Smoke Residues result from fast burning fires at high temperatures. Residues are normally dry, powdery, small, nonsmeary smoke particles.


• Protein Residues are virtually invisible residues that discolor paints and varnishes. They have an extreme pungent odor.


• Fuel Oil Soot occur when furnaces puff back, distributing fuel oil soot.


• Other Types of Residue include tear gas, fingerprint powder, and fire extinguisher residues, all requiring cleanup.