If your home has recently suffered from a horrible fire, don’t hesitate to take action in calling for emergency fire damage restoration services. The smoke and soot byproducts will only spread over time and engulf additional building materials if they aren’t treated right away.

In addition to property damage, fires can cause both short and long term health risks.

But what is worse about the smoke damage is that it can cause serious health risks. In fact, the smoke can also linger for up to several weeks following the fire. To make matters worse, these thick layers of soot and smoke will be difficult to remove, thus, requiring professional fire cleanup products.

All of the following include the health risks that can occur after a house fire:

1. Breathing issues
2. Skin issues
3. Eye irritation
4. Long-term health risks

Breathing issues

As you can imagine, breathing in smoke will certainly trigger coughing. But even after the thick black fumes have passed, the odor can linger and cause additional health risks. Porous materials including drywall, furniture, carpet, walls, and wooden surfaces are known to hold the most amount of smoke damage.

If inhaled, smoke and soot byproducts can cause all of the following breathing issues:

• Shortness of breath
• Coughing
• Bronchitis
• Asthma
• Other respiratory issues

Skin Issues

The byproducts from soot and smoke are a severe skin irritant, causing irritation and dryness. To make matters worse, home remedies such as lotion won’t help. If the issue is severe, such as 3rd degree burns, seek medical attention right away.

Also be careful when putting on clothes that were present during the fire. Even after washing them, some smoke and soot remnants may be left behind that can cause additional skin discomfort and irritation.

Eye Irritation

As you can imagine, smoke and soot will cause the eyes to tear and turn red almost instantly. They can also become itchy if continuously rubbed. But the worst of it all is that smoke damage is not always visible, and can cause significant irritation over time. If you are suffering eye irritation after fire damage to your property, consult with a doctor right away.

Long-term Health Risks

In addition to breathing, skin, and eye issues, soot and smoke damage can also cause long-term health risks. These include:

• Cancer
• Stroke
• Heart Attack
• Lifelong consequences for infants

What Makes Smoke Damage So Dangerous?

When a fire occurs, many combustible items will not burn “cleanly”; for items that contain various amounts of chemicals, they become extremely dangerous when burned. This includes everyday items such as the following:

• Plastics
• Carpets
• Fabrics
• Wood products
• Wool
• Foams
• All materials containing asbestos

Due to the health risks they cause, fire damage restoration should always be handled by the professionals.

What Kinds of Toxic Substances Cause Health Risks?

All of the following substances released from burning materials can cause health risks after a fire:

• PVC – hydrogen chloride, dioxin chloromethane, halocarbons, phosgene, and bromomethane.
• Carbon materials – ammonia, nitrogen oxides, tar, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide.
• Sulfur – sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and thiols.
• Wood smoke – over 100 chemicals found in cigarette smoke.
• Building materials used in 1950’s – 1980’s – Mesothelioma (cancer).

How Can Soot be Removed Safely?

The best way to remove soot and smoke damage is with professional products and equipment. The professionals at RestorationMaster use personal protective equipment (PPE) that include body suits, gloves, and breathing masks to ensure their safety during the cleaning process.

The products they use have also been perfected over time, along with their training, to fully remove soot and smoke byproducts from the affected surfaces. The technicians at RestorationMaster can also help you determine which items are more cost-effective to replace than restore, in addition to working with your insurance agency during the claims process.

What is Included in Fire Damage Restoration?

Each fire damage cleanup company will vary in their methods and procedures; however, the professionals at RestorationMaster guarantee complete peace of mind. They will work with you throughout the entire cleaning process, from assessing the damage to conducting the final inspection.

The fire damage restoration services conducted by RestorationMaster include all of the following:

• 24/7/365 Availability
• Immediate response
• Emergency stabilization and board ups
• Assessment of the damage
• Separation of items to be restored and discarded
• Content cleaning and pack outs
• Controlled demolition
• Reconstruction
• Removal of all soot and smoke byproducts
• Disinfection and sanitation of all surfaces
• Final inspection
• Providing detailed service report to insurance agent

With the professional help and products used by these technicians, you can look forward to a completely restored property in no time.

For more information regarding professional fire damage restoration services provided by RestorationMaster, give them a call at (281) 213-5553.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.