3 Steps To Take After a Fire in Your Home

8/12/2022 (Permalink)

Call fire restoration professionals after experiencing a fire

Three Steps to Follow After a Home Fire

Cleaning Your BBQ Grill: 3 Simple Tips

6/2/2022 (Permalink)

Cleaning your grill can reduce the risk of a fire.

Grill Cleaning Tips

When barbeque season comes to Mill Spring, NC, you probably look forward to creating a variety of delicious meals for your family. However, before you use your grill for the first time this season, learning a few handy grill cleaning tips can reduce the risk of fire, give your unit a longer life and make your grilled food taste better.

1. Burn Off Excess Grease
You can prevent a grease fire in your charcoal or gas grill by lighting the unit, closing the hood and letting it run at its usual temperature to burn away any grease deposits you may have missed when you cleaned and stored the grill previously. Allow the grill to run for at least 30 minutes to ensure all the grease softens or burns off.

2. Soak and Scrub
Grill cleaning can be simpler once you let the parts soak in hot, soapy water. You can also use a store-bought grill cleaner to remove especially tough stains. If your gas grill includes stainless steel parts, use a cleanser specially designed for cleaning the metal to protect the finish. Most gas grills feature removable burner tubes and control knobs, so remember to clean these thoroughly as well.

3. Practice Safe Grill Maintenance While Cleaning
Grill cleaning can be dangerous unless you practice proper safety measures throughout the process. Make sure all the parts cool completely before you handle them and remain especially cautious when cleaning your gas grill to prevent leaks. A fire mitigation and cleanup company can provide you with information about the dangers of gas leaks and their relation to serious fires.
Barbeque season in Mill Spring, NC, is usually an exciting time and gives you and your family the opportunity to share delicious meals together. Knowing how to properly prepare your grill for the summer can help ensure that the food you cook on it, whether charcoal or gas-fueled, can make all the difference in the taste and flavor of your grilled meals.

How to Keep a Cigarette Fire from Happening

2/16/2022 (Permalink)

The best way to ensure that a home cigarette fire doesn't happen is to always go outside to smoke.

How Can You Prevent A Cigarette Fire?

If you smoke and own a home in Marion, NC, you need to be extra cautious. One careless moment could lead to a cigarette fire, which could, in turn, cause severe damage to your home and cost you thousands of dollars in repair and fire cleanup bills. Even worse is the threat of physical harm to you or your loved ones. The good news is that, by following the common-sense steps listed below, you can easily keep an ashtray fire from occurring.

1. Check Your Smoke Detectors

It's important to make sure your smoke alarms are in good working order. Test them at least once a month. It's also a good idea to have one on every floor of your home, even in the attic and basement.

2. Go Outside to Smoke

The best way to ensure that a home cigarette fire doesn't happen is to always go outside to smoke. If you feel like smoking, limit the activity to outdoor areas such as the patio or backyard. This has the added benefit of keeping cigarette odors out of your house.

3. Never Smoke When You're Medicated, Drinking or Sleepy

If you've taken medication, had a few drinks, or feel like you might fall asleep, don't smoke. Never light up while laying down on the sofa or in bed; the cigarette could fall out of your hand and set something on fire.

4. Keep Cigarettes Away from Kids

Make sure your cigarettes and matches are safely put away where kids can't get ahold of them. A curious child with access to your smoking supplies could easily set your house on fire.

If, unfortunately, you've already been the victim of a cigarette fire, you may want to call on the services of a professional fire restoration company to get your home back in order. Hopefully, this is not the case, and the instructions given above can help keep your home safe for years to come.

A Fire Sprinkler Is a Simple but Effective Fire Suppression Device

1/30/2022 (Permalink)

A fire sprinkler cleanup is not a small job.

A Fire Sprinkler is a Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Fire Suppression System

Several fire sprinkler varieties are available in Old Fort, NC, but they all consist of the same four components. These are:

• A pressurized water pipe that is open on the end
  
• A plug that fits the pipe opening and blocks the flow of water
  
• A heat-sensitive device that holds the plug against the pipe opening
  
• A deflector that converts the flowing water to a spray
  
  

A Sprinkler Does Not Detect Fire

A fire sprinkler is a low-tech device activated by heat, not flames. If the temperature at the sprinkler head reaches a certain level, the following occurs:

1. The heat-sensitive device breaks or melts, releasing the plug.
   
2. Water forces the plug out of the pipe.
3. Flowing water strikes the deflector.
   
4. The deflector spreads water over a wide area.
   
5. The sprinkler system controller detects the water flow and signals an alarm.
   
   

No Fire Suppression System Does Everything Well

The fire sprinkler is designed to handle a specific situation. This fire suppression system does, however, have some drawbacks.

1. The sprinkler does not shut itself off once the fire is out. Once triggered, the spray will continue until someone intervenes and shuts off the water to that zone.
2. Shutting down the sprinkler zone leaves that area unprotected. Leaving the building unattended in this condition is risky.
3. Sprinklers are not suitable for computers, telephone equipment, or other electrical devices. Instead, protect this equipment with a system designed specifically for electronics.
4. Sprinklers may not react to some small fires. A small, smoldering fire may cause extensive smoke damage but not generate enough heat to trigger a sprinkler.

Sprinkler Events Require a Skilled Response

By the time the water is shut off, an active sprinkler can pump hundreds of gallons of water throughout a business. A fire sprinkler cleanup is not a small job. There are fire and water remediation specialists in your area ready to handle all aspects of a sprinkler incident should it occur. All it takes to get started is a phone call.

Top Tips for Implementing an Evacuation Plan

11/22/2021 (Permalink)

Practice your fire escape plan.

What Are The Best Practices for Evacuation?

 Thinking about a fire tearing through your Rutherfordton, NC, an office building can leave you anxious. After all, fires can cause a lot of harm, including:

• Destroying buildings
  
• Damaging equipment
  
• Injuring people
  
  

As the building owner, you need to prepare the workers inside for evacuating in an emergency. Creating a fire escape plan can help ensure everyone knows how to get out during a fiery blaze.

Create Maps

Mapping out the layout of your building can help panicked employees remember which way to go in an emergency. You may want to include an emergency escape plan map in every room of the building. This allows visitors to know where to go in the case of a fire too. Your maps should highlight different ways people can leave the building. Fires may block off hallways or break downs stairs, so having more than one way out is essential.

Train Employees

After you have created a map, you need to make sure your employees are aware of the evacuation routes you have laid out. You also need to make sure everyone can recognize the fire alarm. You may want to have regular fire safety training to remind employees what they should do if a fire breaks out. Make the best routes out of the building clear. Don't forget to tell everyone where they should meet once outside. A fire restoration professional may be able to help you assign the best evacuation spot on or near your property.

Practice the Escape

Part of your regular trainings may be practicing the fire escape plan. You can encourage employees to think on their feet by setting up obstacles across the easiest path out, so they have to take an unexpected route out of the building. Even during practice, you should make sure everyone meets at the designated spot.

Creating a fire escape plan for your commercial building can help keep you and your employees safe. While you never want a disaster to strike, it is best to be prepared.

3 Reasons You May Have Water Damage After a Fire

11/1/2021 (Permalink)

Water and fire damage in Forest City, NC.

Water Damage After a Fire

When you have a fire in your Forest City, NC, home, you know there may be significant damage to the entire structure because of the flames and the heat. What you might not expect is to have to deal with a large amount of both water and fire damage. There are several reasons why your home may have been affected by water during a fire.

1. Firefighters

Firefighters are the most common reason for your home to be damaged by water during a fire. The firefighters have to use water to put out the flames in your home. When a fire hose is turned onto your residence, approximately 90 gallons of water comes out every minute. This high volume is needed to dampen a fire, but it can also cause a lot of your belongings to become drenched.

2. Plumbing

Fires cause high heat. This increase in pressure can harm the plumbing throughout your house. In fact, part of the fire damage may include scorched piping. If the pipes are engulfed in flames, they may end up bursting, which releases a deluge of water into your home. Sometimes these weakened pipes may not break until after the fire has been successfully put out.

3. Weather

A fire can expose your house to natural elements. Holes in your roof or a wall can allow rain to pour into your space and cause a myriad of water damages throughout the home. This type of damage can be avoided by making rapid repairs, but you may not be able to act quickly enough if a storm takes place the same day as your fire.

Working with a professional cleanup crew that is familiar with both water and fire damage can make your remediation process easier. When flames tear through a home, water is needed to put out the flames. While you may be happy to see the fire go out, it can be hard to manage both sources of damage without professional help.

Family Pets and Fires: What You Need To Know

10/28/2021 (Permalink)

Practicing common pet safety is an easy way to partake in fire prevention.

What You Should Know About Family Pets and Fires

Avoiding a fire emergency in Marion, NC, begins with efforts to prevent your pets from starting fires. Cats and dogs can inadvertently start a fire in your home in these ways:

- Loose pets are naturally curious and may chew on or play with electrical cords.
- Stove knobs can accidentally be turned on by a jumping dog.
- Cats are infamous for knocking items over, including burning candles.

Before you leave your furry friends home alone, secure pets in crates or with baby gates, remove stove knobs and extinguish candles. Practicing common pet safety is an easy way to partake in fire prevention.

Before a Fire

While you can do your best to stop your pet from starting a fire, fires still occur for other reasons. It’s crucial to take steps with pet preparation in case a fire emergency does happen. Be sure all important pet items are placed in a fireproof safe, including vet records, proof of vaccinations, and any medications. Finding several pet-friendly places to stay, in the event you are dislocated from your home as a result of a fire, should be part of your pet preparation plan. Finally, training can play an important role in pet safety related to fires. Teaching your dog to come when called may help you locate your pet during an emergency. Be sure to keep collars on your pets when you are not home and leave leashes where they are easily accessible.

After a Fire

Cleaning up after a fire can be a daunting process. A professional company can speed things along to get your house back to pre-fire condition as quickly as possible. This is often the best way to ensure that your home is completely free of visible fire damage, as well as invisible damage such as smoke or odors. A fire restoration company can also resolve any water damage.

A fire emergency can be devastating in Marion, NC. However, working with a reputable fire cleanup and restoration company makes the disaster aftermath much easier.

4 Things To Throw Away After a House Fire

7/26/2021 (Permalink)

It is strongly recommended all prescription and over-the-counter medication exposed to the elements of a house fire be thrown away.

After a House Fire, There Are 4 Things You Should Throw Away

Few things can be as devastating as a house fire and the long-term effects it can render. After firefighters have cleared your home, you may be left to face the difficult decisions of which personal belongings can be salvaged and which you must throw away. Rather than risk the potential health effects that fire damaged items can create, here are four items you should immediately throw away:

1. Perishable and Non-Perishable Food

Unfortunately, the high heat of a house fire can activate bacteria within the sealed cans and jars of non-perishable foods. Fumes from smoke or firefighting chemicals can infiltrate containers as well, meaning any items that have been exposed to these elements should be thrown away.

2. Burned Clothing

Textile items such as clothing, bedding or other linens frequently can be cleaned and disinfected after a house fire. However, the chemicals contained in smoke and soot could not only irritate the skin upon contact but could create health effects from inhalation. Thus, it is safer to throw out any singed or burnt clothing and textiles.

3. Medicine

High heat, smoke, soot and even water from firefighting efforts can all alter the potency of your medications. Rather than risk the effects of altered medicine, it is strongly recommended all prescription and over-the-counter medication exposed to the elements of a house fire be thrown away.

4. Cosmetics

The various minerals that come in contact with your skin through cosmetics are also at a high-risk for being impacted by the damaging effects of a fire. Products could be altered by the high heat, or soot deposits could render them unsafe. Any items that appear warped or covered in soot should be thrown out.

Fire damage in your Saluda, NC home can create a world of difficult decisions for your health and happiness. Remember to keep safety in mind, and throw away any items exposed to flames, smoke or water. Finally, consider the expertise of fire restoration specialists that may provide the peace of mind you need to rebuild your home to its pre-fire condition.

Keep Fires at Bay With These Space Heater Safety Tips

6/28/2021 (Permalink)

Space heaters are wonderful inventions.

Prevent Your Space Heater From Catching Fire

Space heaters are wonderful inventions, as they are energy-efficient, affordable and effective. However, despite their many benefits, they do come with one major drawback: fires. If you do not care about your personal hotspot, you could end up with a burned space heater and worse, a burned home. Don’t let that happen, and use these tips to prevent your space heater from catching on fire:

• Buy a space heater that comes with built-in safety features.
  
• Find a safe place to put your little heater.
  
• Keep the three-foot rule in mind.
  
• Practice safe habits.
  
  

Safety Features To Look For

When shopping for space heaters in Spindale, NC, there are certain safety features that Consumers Reports recommends you look for. For one, the heater you buy should come with a safety certification as well as a Very Good or Excellent Fire Safety Score. Anything less than that is likely not safe. Secondly, look for automatic shut-off features. The ideal heater has a sensor that tells it when it's overheating and turns it off automatically. Finally, the heater should have at least a six-foot cord that is equipped with a GFCI plug, which grounds the connection so you won’t get shocked when plugging it in.

Find a Safe Place To Put Your Heater

A large reason for burned space heater accidents is location. Keep the three-foot rule in mind when finding a place to put your heater: three feet from all combustible materials, and surrounded by a three-foot, child-free, pet-free safety zone. Make sure to place the heater on a solid, level and nonflammable surface as well.

Practice Safe Habits

Finally, make sure that you practice safe habits with your space heater. Turn it off each night before going to bed or when leaving the home, install working smoke alarms, and never plug another item into the same outlet that the heater is on, especially if using an extension cord (which you shouldn’t do anyway).

The tips above should help you prevent burned space heater accidents, but in the event that your heater does catch fire and you need smoke cleanup help, reach out to your Spindale, NC, fire damage team today.

Grill Cleaning Keeps Your Backyard Meals Tasting Great

3/31/2021 (Permalink)

Grill cleaning reduces the risk of a grease fire.

Easy Steps In Cleaning Your Grill

An outdoor grill is a convenient and delicious way to prepare meals in Columbus, NC. To get the best flavor, you'll need to clean your grill from time to time. Grill cleaning also keeps it performing at its best and reduces the risk of a grease fire. You can clean your grill in a few easy steps.

Gather Supplies
Before you begin, you'll need to get your supplies together:

• Grill brush
  
• Paper towels
  
• Dish soap
  
• Aluminum foil
  
• Bucket
  
• Work gloves
  
• Garden hose
  
  

Start with a warm grill and make sure all knobs are in the off position. Disconnect the propane tank.

Begin Cleaning
Remove the grill grates and metal plates and soak them in a bucket of hot, soapy water. While they soak, cover the heating elements with foil. Use the grill brush to remove carbon buildup on the underside of the hood and grill walls. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the surfaces clean.
Continue your grill cleaning by emptying the drip pan over a trash can. When it's empty, soak the pan in the bucket. Remove the metal plates and grill grates. Scrub them clean with the grill brush and spray them with the hose.
Remove the foil and clean the heating elements with the grill brush, then remove the drip pan from the bucket and rinse it. Replace all items and reconnect the propane tank.

Enjoy Your Clean Grill
Grill maintenance helps you avoid the risk of a fire that could lead to damage and the need for emergency restoration services. To use your grill safely, always stay near it while you're cooking and keep children and pets away. Your grill should be kept away from the house, out in the open, where there are no overhead obstructions like low branches.
Grill cleaning is a relatively easy task that pays off with better-tasting food. It also gives you peace of mind as you prevent the risk of fire.

How To Avoid Space Heater Fires

11/24/2020 (Permalink)

Fire damage can be devastating for any property owner in Forest City or Marion.

A space heater can provide extra warmth. It can also save on heating bills by allowing you to set the thermostat in your home in Marion, NC on low while still heating the specific rooms you are using to a comfortable temperature. A burned space heater doesn't help you, though. To avoid space heater fires, you need to follow a few simple tips.

Give It Space

The heating elements on a space heater give off an impressive amount of heat, but they can turn into a fire hazard quickly if they are crowded. There are several guidelines to make sure you have enough space around your heater:

• Maintain radius of three feet from flammable objects
• Don't use near combustible substances, such as gasoline
• Keep children and pets away from heater
• Set it on a level surface so it doesn't topple over

Turn It Off

To avoid having a burned space heater when you leave the room, remember to turn it off. Space heaters should never be left unattended while they are on, especially if you leave the house altogether. In fact, it's a good idea to unplug the heater when you are not at home. Keep an eye out for a frayed or otherwise damaged cord.

Keep It Clean

Keep your space heater clean to minimize fire risk. Dust and other debris can turn a functioning space heater into an electric fireplace in a hurry. Replace filters regularly according to the manufacturer's recommendation so that dirt does not infiltrate the heating mechanism. Follow maintenance instructions so that it not only lasts a long time but also does not become a safety issue.

A burned space heater can turn convenience into a nightmare. By following these simple guidelines, you can increase your creature comforts while still keeping you and your family safe. To avoid having to call for fire cleanup with a restoration company, choose a space heater that is safe and use it safely.