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Fire Damage in Frederick Md

Fire damages historic apartment building
Originally published April 04, 2010

By Karen Gardner
News-Post Staff

Emmitsburg — A fire Saturday morning heavily damaged a historic, 150-year-old building on Emmitsburg ‘s town square, displacing residents of the building’s 16 apartments. No one was seriously hurt, but damage is estimated at $1.5 million.

There were a large number of pets in the building. Twenty-three finches and 22 cockatiels, along with several newborn cockatiel chicks, were taken to Frederick County Animal Control. All appeared to be unharmed, although soot covered several birds Saturday morning. Two cats were missing.

The fire, which was reported at 5:59 a.m., started when a resident on the second floor apparently fell asleep while smoking a cigarette, fire officials said.

Fire Damage – What Soot Damage Can Do to Your Home

By Andrew Stratton

The fire’s over and now it’s time to go home. You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you to put the pieces of your life back together. If your home has been damaged in a fire, your real trials are just beginning. Now you’ve got the secondary effects of the fire to deal with.

Most damage from fires doesn’t come from the flame itself, but from smoke, soot and ash. This alone can cost thousands of dollars of loss, and leave its mark on everything you own. First, you have to find it, and then get it remediated. Let’s look at what this can do to your home.

What Soot Can Do: It leaves an ugly, greasy stain. It’s not only ugly to look at, but touching any sooty surface will leave a slimy trace on your hand. Even worse than the visible trouble is the trouble that you can’t see. This is what can cause you and your family serious problems.

Soot and ash is both full of chemicals and acids that ruin everything they come into contact with. They can find their way into every nook and cranny of your home. It sticks to paint, clothes, fabrics, furniture, drapes and other family belongings. It’s oily and sticks easily to anything fabric, such as upholstery, drapes and clothes. Even worse, it can corrode electrical wiring, eat away at surfaces and leave a nasty smell that’s nearly impossible to get rid of.

How it travels: The biggest danger is when it becomes airborne. Sticky surfaces and smelly fabrics are unpleasant, but airborne particles can cause health problems. The air carries it from surfaces and fabrics and gets it everywhere in the house. An infestation can cause serious health problems if you and your family are constantly inhaling its particles.

When the air his humid, your house is perfect for an infestation. This sneaky killer may or may not have any smell, and it can sometimes only be detected by a professional remediator’s instruments. This is why it needs to be taken care of completely right away.

Getting It Cleaned up: Soot should be removed as soon as possible. It can be toxic, and once airborne, cause all sorts of health problems. It’ll also ruin your belongings, even if the stain isn’t visible. It’s best to leave your cleanup to a professional who has the instruments and expertise to get the job done right.

Moving back to a fire-damaged house isn’t easy. But, cleaning up often gives homeowners a feeling of empowerment over their dire situation. Clean up your soot damaged and start living a normal life again.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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