What Can Hurt Me in a Fire Damaged Home in Los Angeles?

11/1/2017 (Permalink)

The structural walls and framing of your home could be weakened by a house fire.

The Dangers of Fire Damage in Your Home

The inside of a burned building can be a very dangerous place after medium to large fires have swept through the area. Failing structures, exposed hazards, and dangerous substances are all common sights in recently fire damaged Los Angeles homes. Exercise extreme caution around a burned home site, and if emergency responders or SERVPRO technicians do not advise you to go in, try to avoid entering at all costs. Otherwise, these hazards could cause health effects.

Structural Collapse

One of the most disastrous effects of fire damage in Los Angeles homes is structural weakening and collapse. Fires can torch walls, floors, supports, and virtually anything else in an average American home, and more substantial fires may engulf the entire building in flames at once. Once the flames have died down, a considerable risk factor likely remains in the form of weakened structural components. Some key indicators such as bowed door frames or open holes may signal at weak points in the structure, but others may be completely invisible. Avoid entering heavily-burned areas without heavy precautionary measures.

Exposed Hazards

Fires may sometimes strip away materials covering up hazards around the home. Some examples of this effect include rubber melting off of electrical wires, wood panels burning away to expose sharp objects behind them, and metal warping into sharp and troublesome shapes.

Harmful Substances

Burn sites commonly carry multiple dangerous and harmful substances, ranging from simple air quality reducers such as dust and light smoke to carcinogenic compounds and chemicals. You should never be near the site of a fire without a protective filter or mask on. Also, you may also want to consider safety options such as safety goggles, gloves, long sleeves, hoods, and readily-available disinfectant to ensure that no harm befalls you in your home.

SERVPRO of Silver Lake / Echo Park is a local damage mitigation and restoration company that brings high-quality solutions to homeowners in need. Call us 24/7 at (323) 255-1000.  

Click here for more information regarding the city of Los Angeles.