Smoke, Fire & Water Damage in Properties Impacted by Structure Fires

Each year in the United States, fire departments respond to over 1 million fires of all types according to the U.S. Fire Administration.  In addition to causing injuries and tragic deaths in some circumstance, fires also result billions of dollars in property damage each year.

The damage and destruction caused by a building fire and efforts to extinguish it can be extensive and are often obvious. Depending on the size of the structure fire, type of building it takes place in, and proximity to other homes or buildings, it is possible for there to be additional property damage that might not be immediately evident.  This damage could be in other parts of the same building, such as in adjacent units in an apartment or office complex, or even in nearby buildings not directly touched by flames.   Two common causes of this type of property damage include smoke and water damage.

A building fire can easily produce a tremendous amount of smoke that can be carried some distance in the wind and will often easily infiltrate adjoining properties and nearby buildings. Smoke is filled with combustion by-products that include soot, ash and char that can have damaging effects to both properties and to humans breathing the smoke filled air.  In addition to leaving behind unpleasant odors, smoke residues can cause corrosion, etching and discoloration within a property.

Another area of considerable property loss is due to water damage from fire suppression efforts.  Water used to put out a fire on the third floor of a building will makes its way down to the lowest level it can reach resulting in water damage on multiple floors.  This may leave obvious signs of damage, such as water logged floors, but even water and moisture behind walls and ceilings without observable signs of its presence can cause property damage and quickly lead to the growth of mold.  In fact, mold can begin to grow in as shorts as 48 hours and the presence of elevated levels of mold will impact the indoor air quality (IAQ) of the building. 

At Hudson Douglas Public Adjusters, they have teams of professionals that can help property owners quickly settle insurance claims for all types of damage associated with residential and commercial building fires.  Their public adjusters can quickly help obtain the most accurate and complete settlement for a property claim so that it can be restored back to its original condition.  Hudson Douglas also recently sponsored an educational video about fire, smoke and water damage that can be seen at: http://youtu.be/gPgHeKVmOYA