Residential Garage Fires Frequently Result in Extensive Property Damage

Last month, a homeowner in north Phoenix was hospitalized for burns after he tried to put out a fire that had started in his garage.  Fires start all too frequently in garages, in fact, U.S. fire departments reported approximately 6,600 residential building fires that originated in garages from 2009 through 2011.  These fires resulted in deaths, injuries and hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage.

In many parts of the country there are no building codes that require smoke detectors in residential garages.  Since garages are used to store motor vehicles and often flammable liquids, they are the source, or contributing factors, for many of these fires. 

With so few smoke detectors found in garages, a fire will often go unnoticed until enough smoke has infiltrated the main residence and set off alarms or is noticed by building occupants. By this time it has often grown in size and severity resulting in extensive property damage even if firefighters are able to quickly extinguish the flames.

“Property damage due to a garage fire includes obvious damage caused by flames and thick smoke, but even a small fire in an attached garage can lead to widespread smoke damage throughout the entire home,” said Tom Allen from Hudson Douglas Public Adjusters, LLC. “Representatives from the homeowner’s insurance company will often focus their attention on the directly impacted areas, but people need to be aware of less visible and hidden signs of damage.  At Hudson Douglas Public Adjusters, our insurance claims and fire damage experts provide comprehensive investigations into these types of property damage cases.  By documenting all damages throughout the entire property, the insured get their claim settled for the full amount detailed under the insurance policy.  Our team has handled countless cases involving garage fires so clients not only have the entire process handled for them by experienced professionals, they also end up with the resources needed to repair the damages caused by flames, heat and smoke residues throughout the home.”