Fire Damage Repair And Prevention

2018 was a dangerous year for North Carolina regarding fire safety.  50 more people died of fire-related incidents in 2018 than in 2017.  These statistics unnerved many people, and in 2019, more precautions were taken to ensure the public understood the importance of fire safety.  While things have improved since 2018, more progress can be made.  Easy, small adjustments can be made at home to ensure yourself and your house are safer, especially as the spring season comes to and end and the hot summer days begin.  Below are brief explanations as to why fire extinguishers and smoke alarms are so important, and what their functions are in the midst of a fire.

Fire Extinguisher

It is incredibly important to have a fire extinguisher available, up to date, and easily accessible.  The kitchen and the garage are the two places in a home most likely to experience a fire, so experts suggest actually having two separate fire extinguishers, one in both rooms.  While there is technically no law requiring a Charlotte home to have a fire extinguisher, it is highly recommended, especially if your home is not equipped with installed interior sprinklers.  Fire extinguishers not only are immensely helpful when it comes to putting out small fires, they actually are very beneficial to the environment in the long run.  By utilizing fire extinguishers on small-scale fires, it prevents the small fires from growing into large, unmanageable conflagrations, which can lead to immense fire damage requiring repair to the source and neighboring structures.

Smoke Detector/Alarm

Unlike fire extinguishers, it is required by law to have a battery-operated smoke detector in every dwelling unit in Georgia.  This one might seem like a no brainer, but it deserves to be over-explained because it’s just that important.  To provide some data, here are some statistics regarding smoke detectors:

• 38% of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present.
• The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms.
• Nearly 60% of home fire deaths occur in homes in which the smoke alarms were malfunctioning, dead, or missing.

Smoke detectors save lives.  But how?  How do they work?  There are two types of smoke detectors, ionization and photoelectric.   Ionization smoke detectors contain a small amount of radioactive material between two electrically charged plates.  When smoke enters the the into the detector, it disrupts the exchange of ions, which activates the alarm.  Photoelectric smoke detectors use a photoelectric sensor and light.  Once smoke enters the detector and crosses the path of the light beam, the smoke causes the light to scatter.  The light particles are aimed toward the sensor, which activates the alarm.  Ionization smoke detectors respond faster to smoke produced by flaming fires, while photoelectric smoke detectors respond faster to smoke produced by smoldering fires.  Because of this, it is suggested to either have one of each, or a dual-detecting alarm.

In the unfortunate case of a house fire, dial 911 immediately.  Once the primary fire danger has been mitigated, contact your local fire damage repair company to receive helpful information regarding the next steps that need to be take to repair your home.

Fire Damage Repair In Charlotte

Restoration 1 of Greater Charlotte, North Carolina is a local, family-owned fire damage repair service company.  They offer emergency service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and quickly send out highly trained professionals to each call they receive.  Each restoration specialist is IICRC and IAQA certified and licensed, which allows them to promise a 100% satisfaction guarantee.  Their in-depth fire damage repair process includes removing all fire and smoke-damaged components to ensure no further damage; structural evaluation; odor and contamination treatment; and prevention of particle spread or soot collection.