If You Have A Fire In Your Commercial Building, Avoid Costly Mistakes

9/16/2021 (Permalink)

A fire in your business can be devastating and costly. Your buildings and items of value may have been lost or badly damaged by the flames, heat, smoke or water. Firefighters may have found it necessary to cut holes in walls to look for hidden flames or in the roof to let out heat and smoke.

The National Fire Protection Association tracks and analyzes fire data. NFPA estimates that U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 3,340 fires in office properties per year. These fires caused an annual average of four civilian deaths, 44 civilian fire injuries, and $112 million in direct property damage. The vast majority of the fires in this category were in business offices.

The clean up after a fire will take a lot of time, patience, and preparation. Below, we are sharing the first steps you will need to take after a fire:

Insurance Company. You will need to contact your insurance agent before any fire damage is repaired or clean-up is begun. Be prepared with information on what is covered, what needs to be repaired or replaced, and how to find reputable companies that can take care of repairs to your property for you during this time.

Important documents. You will want to take steps to find and retrieve all important documents, and replace those that have been lost or irretrievably damaged, such as birth and death records, social security cards, mortgage and banking information and records, wills, stocks, and bonds.

Soot Particles. Try to limit movement about the home to prevent soot particles from becoming embedded in the upholstery of your furniture and carpeting. You can place towels or old linens on your rugs, upholstered furniture, and foot traffic areas to help alleviate this type of damage.

Equipment and Appliances. Changing your HVAC filters after a fire is a good idea, and if the power is out, empty your freezer and fridge and prop the doors open to get rid of smoke. Check wiring for ceiling fans before turning them on as the wiring could have been damaged during the fire.

Fire Damage Specialists. You don’t want to wash any walls or painted surfaces, or clean carpets, etc. without contacting a fire damage specialist. Walls and other surfaces need to be properly cleaned by a professional before any repair is done.

There's never a convenient time for fire or Water damage to strike your commercial property. Every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. When the need arises for professional cleaning or emergency restoration services we have the training and expertise to respond promptly with highly trained technicians to get your property back to business.

SERVPRO of Waycross, Hinesville & Douglas, we are ready to help you in the event of fire damage to your home or business. We are also experienced in the areas of water damage and mold prevention and remediation.

SERVPRO of Waycross, Hinesville & Douglas, you can contact us by phone at (912) 285-0724.