The Restoration Process for Fire Damage in Little Rock

4/17/2023 (Permalink)

Fire damage leaves behind charred contents and lingering odors. Contact SERVPRO for thorough remediation services in your Little Rock home.

SERVPRO Offers Fire Cleanup and Odor Control to Little Rock Residents

The home is full of fuel sources for a potential fire. Common textiles like mattresses, draperies, and sheets can combust with exposure to high temperatures or direct flames. One of the leading causes of damage from combusting materials is smoke deposits that rapidly expand outward from the source. SERVPRO can help organize and manage your home restoration after a disaster. 

The underlying causes of fire damage in Little Rock homes can often be traced back to open ignition points, with the number one cause being unattended stoves. Usually, these types of fire involve the burning of animal protein which can leave behind greasy smoke deposits. Unlike organic materials, which generally leave behind a powdery smoke residue, items that involve animal fats or synthetic material often require special care and attention to remove. The immediate aftermath of a housefire often requires the most organization. Belongings must be inspected individually to ascertain their level of repairability while simultaneously making plans for safe storage either on-site or in an external warehouse. There is also a careful examination of the structure, surfaces, and fittings where technicians test for cleanability and smoke type. Finally, water used during the firefighting procedure can be an additional source of damage that needs immediate mitigation. 

The Early Stages of Homefire Restoration

• Sorting through belongings, including storage options and arranging for services such as dumpster trucks for debris and potential subcontractor requirements.
• Setting up a staging area for equipment and containment controls to avoid spreading soot from one location to another.
• Water mitigation is often necessary to help reduce the impact of smoke odors and prevent secondary damages.

The planning phase of homes fire damage restoration is among the most crucial. Our technicians can perform mitigation tasks to reduce losses, arrange for the correct equipment, and speak with your insurance adjuster during this time. From a homeowner's perspective, the main task is to provide authorization for technicians to carry out restoration work. This task is completed by providing your signature on an authorization to complete the services form. We understand how impactful fires can be to a homeowner and the level of disruption they can cause to your everyday life. Our crew chiefs can answer any questions you may have during this period to stay in the loop and make sure you have a realistic time frame for the services carried out. 

The Core Tasks for Your Home Restoration

• Mitigation is the process of reducing losses, including covering surfaces to protect them from falling ash, drying the property, and securing it against theft.
• A cleaning phase allows technicians to salvage as much of the structure, fittings, and belongings as possible. Cleaning can also help to reduce odors significantly.
• Restoration usually involves the replacement of non-salvageable materials. Special services like wood refinishing, carpet cleaning, deodorization, and repainting are common tasks in the restoration phase.

Cleaning smoke residues can be challenging without the correct training, equipment, and experience. In property fires, chemical cleaning is usually necessary to remove stubborn soot deposits. In broad terms, chemical cleaners are split between water-based cleaning agents like detergents and oil-based solvents. Detergents can help rinse light to moderate smoke residues but can have the opposite effect on the greasy smoke residues usually found in a kitchen. We use solvents that suspend soot particles in the chemical solution for wet smoke. Our team can then wash away the solvent and the soot in a rinsing agent. 

If a fire breaks out at your property, contact SERVPRO of Little Rock for fire damage restoration at (501) 803-9700.