Is It Safe to Stay in a Smoke Damaged Home?
A smoke damaged home is unsafe to live in—until professionals decontaminate it, resolve the structural dangers, and deem the home safe to occupy again. Some smoke damage is invisible, which is what leads homeowners to mistakenly assume it is safe to stay in the home after the fire.
What are common causes of home fires?
Home fires are not uncommon, which means smoke damage is also not uncommon. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reveals that cooking is the leading cause of house fires. Between 2015 and 2019, kitchen fires were responsible for 49 percent of reported home fires.
Heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires, per the NFPA. Between 2014 and 2018, local fire officials responded to an average of 48,530 fires that involved heating equipment, which accounts for approximately 14 percent of all reported home fires during this period.
Additional top causes of home fires include electrical malfunctions, smoking, and candles. In 2014 alone, 17,200 home fires were started by smoking materials, such as cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Candles were responsible for an estimated 7,400 home structure fires between 2015 and 2019.
What are smoke and smoke damage?
Smoke particles consist of unburnt remnants that fueled the fire; they are made up of tiny gas, liquid, and solid particles. Individual smoke particles are too small to see until they combine to form visible smoke. The smoke that is seen primarily consists of soot, tar, oils, and ash.
While fire singes the materials it directly touches, smoke causes a different type of physical damage. Smoke particles cover objects, staining them with soot and leaving behind an intolerable odor. As the particles quickly cool, they leave behind a film that penetrates building materials.
How far does smoke damage travel?AA
Home fires caused by any source will release smoke. The miniscule smoke particles find their way into nooks and crevices around the home. Smoke may be found in the HVAC unit, behind walls, in furnishings, and inside light fixtures and electrical sockets.
Smoke particles are invasive, meaning they will infiltrate parts of the home that are not directly affected by the fire. For example, a stovetop that catches fire will release smoke. It is expected that this smoke will travel, causing significant smoke damage to the upstairs bedroom.
What is most concerning to homeowners is that the smoke damage is not always clearly visible. Considering the incredibly invasive quality of smoke, many parts of the home will be affected by smoke damage—even though the homeowner cannot see the damage.
How hazardous is smoke damage?
The invisible nature of smoke damage is what makes it extremely hazardous to health. Homes and the furnishings inside are oftentimes manufactured with synthetic materials. When these materials burn during a house fire, they release toxic substances into the air.
When plastics, like PVC pipes, burn, they release hydrogen cyanide, which can interfere with cellular respiration. Vinyl, another common material in households, releases phosgene when burned. Inhaling low levels of phosgene causes minor symptoms, while higher levels can result in death.
Staying in a home damaged by smoke will unavoidably lead to inhaling smoke particles. Individuals who breathe in smoke particles over a prolonged period can experience a range of symptoms. Minor symptoms of smoke inhalation include coughing, diarrhea, vomiting, sleepiness, and confusion.
Smoke particles, which can contain hundreds of different chemicals and are therefore toxic, will make breathing difficult. The lungs and sinuses are directly affected. Skin irritations can develop due to residual smoke particles left on clothing and furnishings; these irritations can become severe.
When smoke particles become trapped in the curtains, carpets, furniture, and other porous materials, the occupants in the home who breathe in the particles over a period of time can develop respiratory issues as well as the aforementioned skin irritations.
Home fires, which can reach or exceed temperatures of 1100 degrees Fahrenheit, burn oxygen. This means that occupants in the home will have less oxygen to breathe. Remaining in a fire damaged home and being exposed to smoke damage can lead to irreversible brain damage or even death.
Smoke pollution is another reason to avoid staying in a smoke damaged home. Like smoke damage, odors from smoke can easily penetrate the walls, vents, and other parts of the home. Breathing in the odors can damage the respiratory system, similar to the way smoke does.
Remaining in a home damaged by smoke is unsafe. Upon having the property restored by a qualified fire damage restoration company, the home can be safely inhabited. Fire and smoke damage restoration experts are equipped with the tools necessary to fully clean and decontaminate the property.
It is important to call a professional for fire and smoke damage restoration with years of experience in restoring fire damaged homes, licensed technicians, and advanced equipment to return your smoke damaged home to its pre-loss condition as quickly as possible.
The fire damage restoration process is comprehensive and includes cleaning and repairs. Skilled crews will come to your home after the fire has been extinguished to assess the smoke damage. After stabilizing the property, they remove debris and evaluate what goods can or cannot be restored.
Smoke damaged items that can potentially be restored include electronics, furniture, artwork, and documents. The faster a homeowner calls for restoration after the fire is extinguished, the more likely it is that smoke damaged goods can be successfully cleaned and restored to their original condition.
Soot removal is another service professionals provide. Using advanced cleaning products and proven techniques, they safely clean objects covered in soot and prevent permanent damage. Through deodorization process, they eliminate lingering smoke odors from the fire damaged property.
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.
