Recent Fire Damage Posts
Effective Fire Restoration Services in Yorktown Heights
11/25/2023 (Permalink)
If your Yorktown Heights home experiences fire damage, call SERVPRO. We're Faster to any size disaster™.
SERVPRO® Delivers Top-Notch Fire Recovery Solutions
In the aftermath of a fire, homeowners often feel overwhelmed by the damage left in its wake. The sight of charred walls, soot-covered furniture, and the lingering smell of smoke can be devastating.
A significant number of homes in Yorktown Heights experience fire damage each year. In a town of just over 1,500 residents, 515 structure fires occurred. This damage can be due to various reasons, from electrical faults to unattended candles or kitchen accidents. This situation is where professional fire recovery solutions come into play. SERVPRO provides effective restoration services that help bring homes back to their former glory.
Post-Fire Outcomes
Fire damage in a home can result in numerous issues. A kitchen fire can ruin food items as soot can travel into tightly sealed jars. If smoke gets sucked through the HVAC system, the ductwork and filtration system may need deep cleaning to eliminate embedded fire odors.
- Soot and smoke residue on walls, ceilings, and furnishings
- Charred structural elements, including beams and pillars
- Damaged electronics and appliances
- Stained and discolored fabrics
- Lingering unpleasant odors
- Warped or melted plastics
SERVPRO's approach to fire restoration in Yorktown Heights is comprehensive and employs cutting-edge techniques:
- Detailed assessment of the damage to determine the extent and the best methods for restoration
- Removal of unsalvageable items and materials
- Advanced equipment to extract soot and smoke residues from surfaces
- Specialized air scrubbers and fogging equipment to neutralize and remove lingering smoke odors
- Careful cleaning of household items, including electronics, furniture, and personal belongings
- Structural repairs to the affected areas when authorized
As the trusted choice for many in Yorktown Heights, SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County at (914) 241-8100 ensures homes affected by fire regain their warmth and comfort. SERVPRO's team of dedicated professionals with their state-of-the-art equipment stand committed to making fire restoration on a level "Like it never even happened."
Fire Restoration in Mount Kisco Is Fast & Efficient with SERVPRO
4/19/2023 (Permalink)
Our SERVPRO rapid response team is available 24/7!
Mount Kisco Homeowners Trust SERVPRO with Fire Restoration
Cleaning and restoration can reduce the cost of a fire damage claim and are much cheaper than replacing and resurfacing. However, fire restoration in your Mount Kisco home must happen fast to be effective. The smoke and soot particles can continue to damage the surfaces if not quickly removed using appropriate methods.
SERVPRO techs apply scientifically backed principles and elements of cleaning during the fire restoration of your Mount Kisco home. We aim to quickly remove the soot particles from surfaces and return the structure and contents to their preloss condition.
Cleaning Actions to Remove Smoke and Soot from Fire-Damaged Homes
The objective of SERVPRO fire restoration experts during restorative cleaning is to break the bonds between the soils and the surfaces. As the soot particles tend to form strong bonds with the affected surfaces, SERVPRO techs need to use the combination of the following four cleaning actions:
- Mechanical action
- Lubrication
- Chemical action
- Suspension and dispersion
The mechanical action involves dislodging the soot from the surfaces using abrasion. These methods are best to remove loosely attached, dry residue from surfaces. However, if the bonds between the soot and surface are strong, restorers must break them by chemically altering the soot particles. SERVPRO techs use oxidizing or reducing bleaches for this purpose.
The Role of Solvents in Fire Damage Restoration
SERVPRO techs use solvents to dissolve the soot particles or suspend them to remove them easily from the surfaces. Oily residues that are difficult to remove using mechanical or chemical action are often dissolved, dispersed, or emulsified in an appropriate solvent cleaner for easy removal.
Call SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County at (914) 241-8100. We offer world-class fire restoration service to residential and commercial properties, and We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.
Fire Damage Restoration in Mount Kisco Homes
3/22/2023 (Permalink)
The fire department is here to help put out the fire; SERVPRO is Here to Help during fire damage restoration in Mount Kisco.
SERVPRO Improves Fire Restoration Outcomes in Mount Kisco by Using Unique Procedures
Knowing the tedious work and costs involved in fire damage restoration, you might question its essence. However, since saving valuables at your Mount Kisco home is essential, the restoration exercise is critical. Generally, items resilient to heat and flame exposure and do not absorb water are readily salvaged. Advanced restoration can help address changes in materials such as charring and accumulation of residues.
Proper planning is essential for effective fire damage restoration in Mount Kisco properties. Otherwise, it is possible to do significant work that does not change the trajectory of the incident. When SERVPRO intervenes, it is easier to optimize any fire damage restoration step to address the arising problems.
Deciding what to save after a fire may not be as straightforward as you might think. Although you may consider all the items in your house as valuables, you have to alter your outlook during fire damage restoration. The value of an item has to be weighed against the cost of getting a replacement, the time and effort needed to fix it, and whether it holds any sentimental value. A professional assessment can narrow down the items to consider salvaging by identifying the technical issues restoration must address.
Readily salvageable materials include:
- Glass materials
- Metal items
- Hardwood floors
- Soiled fabrics
The glass items affected by a fire in your house could range from kitchen utensils to structural materials such as window panes. Since glass is resilient to some degree of heat and does not absorb residues or moisture, items left intact are easily salvaged after a thorough cleaning. One problem with glass items is the hazy look that develops after cleaning the soot residues, making your precious items look cheap. Our SERVPRO technicians use advanced cleaning methods to remove such blemishes. Specializing cleaning products such as the Window Green Clean solution help strip off soot residues, leaving window panes shiny for glass panes. For small items like utensils, immersion methods such as Ultrasonic Cleaning help.
An ultrasonic cleaning system combines the power of chemical agents with a mild abrasive power to provide the best cleaning outcomes. Abrasion comes from millions of tiny vapor bubbles that the system produces and implodes instantaneously, effectively removing fire residues.
Restoring Significant Changes
Some of the changes in materials triggered by fire are significant, but it might be possible to reverse them with the right fire damage restoration approach. Charring and deep soiling are likely for solid wood materials such as frames and trusses supporting the house. Charring can weaken the structural materials if it is deep enough. It also leads to persistent odor issues if not fully addressed.
Dealing with charring
- Measure char depth, depths of ¼ inch or less can be salvaged, even on roof trusses
- Clean abrasively to remove residue
- Seal or refinish the affected areas
Using a simple tool such as a char gauge, our SERVPRO technicians check whether any charred material section exceeds a percentage that would compromise the structural integrity, thus making it unsalvageable. Removing a layer of carbon residues left as charring requires significant power since it is attached to the material, unlike a layer of deposits that you can easily wipe off. An abrasive cleaning method is essential. Our crews assess the situation to determine whether sanding or blast-cleaning with a medium like dry ice or soda would be ideal. Dry ice and soda are excellent when you do not intend to scour the material deeply or leave significant debris. The two blast cleaning methods drive dry ice or soda pellets over a surface at a high pressure where they disintegrate on impact, stripping away unwanted fire residues.
SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County takes any action necessary to ensure fire damage restoration has a positive impact. Call us at (914) 241-8100. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.
Fire Damage Restoration for Garages in Mount Kisco
11/16/2022 (Permalink)
Cleaning soot and fire damage from Mount Kisco homes is a SERVPRO thing. "Like it never even happened."
SERVPRO Fire Cleanup Teams are Ready to Help
Fires can be devastating to property and human life. Modern homes are full of technology designed to prevent fires or alert homeowners before they become serious. Some of these technologies are obvious in smoke detectors and alarms. Others, like fire retardants and electrical interrupters, are less noticeable. However, these preventative measures keep us safe and stop fires from causing significant damage to the home. Garage spaces, on the other hand, often lack these essential safety measures.
Our fire damage restoration service in Mount Kisco has experience working to repair garages. In the US, the number one cause of garage fires is electrical equipment. Flames can ignite due to overloaded circuits, exposed wiring, or leaving lamps and other electrical equipment unattended. Since we use these spaces to house papers, storage boxes, gas, and wood, any breakout fire has an abundance of fuel sources that can lead to extensive property damage in a short time.
SERVPRO helps residents with:
Any fire involves significant debris removal. Many items burn to cinders in a matter of minutes, leaving charred remains and ash behind. Our technicians can arrange dumpsters to remove larger debris while sweeping and industrial vacuuming the remaining area to eliminate soot. Exposed structural beams commonly found in garage spaces can be charred following a fire. By sanding away surface layers and soaking the remaining structure with a powerful anti-odor solvent, our technicians can help to restore the beams to a good condition.
Contents cleaning for garage fires
- Storage boxes containing clothing can be shipped out of the property for professional cleaning to remove all traces of smoke and soot.
- Special services we offer include artwork or document restoration and immersion cleaning for high-value, salvageable items.
Our team uses General Contractor License #: WC28721-H16 to repair damaged wiring, mechanical appliances, and equipment. If fire strikes your property, contact SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County for fire damage repair at (914) 241-8100.
You Can Count On Our Experts To Restore Your Yorktown Heights Home After A Fire
7/19/2022 (Permalink)
Fire damage? SERVPRO is prepared with restoration equipment and experienced technicians.
Professional Skills Needed to Clean Fire Damage Residues in Yorktown Heights
Fire harms your Yorktown Heights home in a wide variety of ways. Heat and flames can warp and char materials. Water used to knock down the fire can soak into structural components and contents. Smoke moves throughout every space in your home, even far from the ignition site. Solid particulates, better known as soot, form deposits on surfaces, including ceilings, walls, floors, and furnishings. Using appropriate skills, methods, and products to clean off these residues significantly affects how quickly and thoroughly your home returns to pre-damaged condition.
Comprehensive Inspection
Although we know you are anxious to resolve the fire damage to your Yorktown Heights home, a thorough inspection of every affected area and surface must precede cleanup and restoration work. We develop a phase-by-phase, step-by-step plan to address all aspects of your home’s unique circumstances. Choices made by firefighters require immediate resolution, with water and chemical removal job one. The materials burned and the types of surfaces upon which residues were deposited provide the data to inform our project manager on what cleaning methods and products to select for optimal outcomes.
SERVPRO excels at fire damage restoration because our Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC)-trained managers and technicians earn multiple certifications in the broad range of skills needed to return your home to pre-damaged condition. Our equipment is also top-notch, efficient, and innovative, specifically designed to manage the tasks necessary to clear water, remove soot, and remediate charring, among other goals.
Combination of Proper Technique and Proprietary Products
The bulk of fire damage mitigation and remediation involves soot removal. Conventional cleaning products, particularly those that boast the capability to clean various soils of various surfaces, can disappoint. The SERVPRO training and experience impresses as we adjust the elements of cleaning -- temperature, agitation, chemical action, and time -- based on industry best practices. The choice of cleaning solutions is deliberate and matched to the type of soot, whether dry, wet, or protein-based.
Relying on the skills of SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County leads to successful outcomes after a fire disaster. Call us at (914) 241-8100 to see how our training and well-researched products deliver the results you desire and deserve.
Mistakes You Don't Want to Make After Fire Damage in Your Mount Kisco Home
6/22/2022 (Permalink)
SERVPRO will be first in line to help you come back from your Mount Kisco house fire.
Let us help you stop worrying about your fire damage in Mount Kisco
The first 48 hours after fire damage in a home are crucial. Copious amounts of water wind up on the property from firefighting efforts, and not only does the smoke residue require removal, but fast extraction of the water also needs to occur as quickly as possible.
Self-cleaning fire damage is something Mount Kisco homeowners should avoid. When liquid cleaners come into contact with dry smoke residue - the result drives it deeper into surfaces, sometimes making things that once had restoration potential into a loss. Scrubbing away smoke residue sounds correct, but depending on the surface and type of smoke damage, it may cause more damage to the property.
DIY actions homeowners should take:
- When only a portion of the home is affected by fire, ask the fire department if it is safe to remain in the home
- Turn off the HVAC system to stop the spread of soot in the ductwork
- Close off the fire loss area of the house to foot traffic
- Turn off the electricity to the home if the walls around outlets are wet
Working closely with property owners to know what is happening with each phase of the mitigation process, SERVPRO technicians remove the water, debris, and charred items. Restoration services have two sides, and one is to save as much as possible through cleaning. Areas of the structure that do not have restorative potential are ready for reconstruction.
SERVPRO technicians undergo extensive training to become certified in the restoration sciences. This includes how to test and determine the type of residue, so they choose the best cleaning methods in each case. Often smoke residue requires careful manual removal followed up by the use of equipment to neutralize airborne soot particles and other odor control applications.
Fire damage cleanup and restoration need to happen as soon as possible after a fire loss. Call SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County at (914) 241-8100, our emergency response teams are available 24/7, and they have the experience, equipment, and commitment to do the damage to your home. "Like it never even happened."
Mount Kisco Properties Benefit from SERVPRO Fire Loss and Odor Control Mitigation
4/29/2022 (Permalink)
SERVPRO Says to Mount Kisco Homeowners--Call Us for Fire Damage Restoration and Odor Control
Why Several Deodorizers Exist for Fire-Damaged Mount Kisco Homes
There are multiple tools, products, and machines that are vital in the professional recovery of fire loss incidents to Mount Kisco homes. As challenging as these instances can be to overcome, even with this advanced equipment, many homeowners seeking to do this alone do not have the same access to these modern machines. Some mid-grade options exist in home improvement locations for rent or purchase, but without purchasing an entire inventory of restoration tools yourself, how do you know what items you need for fire loss recovery?
One of the biggest challenges regarding fire damage in Mount Kisco homes is lingering odors and smoke. Deodorization equipment can often eliminate these threats permanently. Still, there are several units that you can choose from – even with the limited stock available in hardware stores. There are reasons that there are varying types and why all of these options arrive with our SERVPRO professionals when we reach a fire-damaged property.
Primarily, our SERVPRO team utilizes several options in most fire loss incidents, including thermal and UV foggers, hydroxyl generators, and even ozone machines. Each of these units has distinct advantages, primarily in either the range of their effectiveness or in the items that they can most efficiently and thoroughly deodorize. Thermal foggers, for example, can easily permeate soft materials like clothing, upholstery, and carpets to break apart harsh odor compounds embedded in them.
There are disadvantages to specific choices as well, and these are things that you need to know before these units get rented or purchased. Ozone generators are highly capable machines that can make short work of odors in contents and open areas of your damaged home. Still, the creation of ozone to neutralize these molecules is hazardous and even fatal to humans and pets directly exposed. These units must get run while no other work is getting completed. SERVPRO strongly suggests not to introduce O3 ozone molecules into your home. Leave the heavy lifting to us, done right and safely.
We strive to give our customers the information that can help them to make the best decisions for their property in a time of crisis. While our SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County team is always here to help you make fire loss “Like it never even happened.” we are also here to help with any questions you might have. Give us a call today at (914) 241-8100.
Professional Fire Damage Restoration for Minor Events in Mount Kisco
3/20/2022 (Permalink)
When fire damage affects your home, time is of the essence. Call our SERVPRO team 24/7 to quickly assess and formulate an effective remediation plan.
SERVPRO’s Assistance Improves Fire Damage Remediation in Mount Kisco Homes
Fire can originate from different sources, including cooking processes or malfunctioning appliances. The intensity varies depending on what ignites or how fast it is extinguished, so you might end up with what you believe is minimal damage that you can resolve yourself. However, professional fire damage restoration may still be necessary to habilitate your Mount Kisco home to its preloss state after a small fire.
Fire damage restoration in your Mount Kisco home needs to be timely for the best outcomes. It also takes several actions to address all the developing problems, so significant resources may be necessary. Since SERVPRO constantly restores big and small fire events, we have adequate resources to deploy.
The likely fire restoration processes include:
- Cleaning
- Deodorizing
- Resurfacing
Why professional assistance is needed
In a small fire, soiling might involve limited smoke residues or charring. Cleaning under such circumstances involves wiping surfaces to lift off light residues and light staining. However, if not done correctly, it can worsen the soiling rather than resolve it. Our SERVPRO IICRC-certified technicians start cleaning with a method like vacuuming or feather-dusting to remove light smoke residues before subjecting materials to wet cleaning. Dry cleaning helps prevent residues from setting deeper into the material.
Removing the layers of charring left on a wooden surface is necessary before refinishing or resurfacing the area. The fire might have affected finished surfaces like furniture or unfinished ones in structural materials. Removing layers of charring requires care not to cause unnecessary damage or disturb the materials in a way that releases them into the air, where they can cause irritation or respiratory issues. Our SERVPRO teams use specialized agitation techniques such as blasting an area with soda or dry ice pellets, which do not abrade the underlying material.
In general, professionals help
- Provide special equipment
- Improve salvaging of damaged materials
- Limit exposure to health hazards
- Quicken recovery
SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County provides fire damage restoration services for any incident making it “Like it never even happened.” Call us at (914) 241-8100.
Where to Get Help with Fire and Smoke Cleanup in Yorktown
2/4/2022 (Permalink)
When a fire affects your home, professionals need to be called in. Team SERVPRO has fire and smoke cleanup professionals standing by 24/7.
SERVPRO Can Assist You to Perform Fire and Smoke Damage Cleanup in Yorktown
No one expects to lose their home or belongings to a fire. However, if this happens to you, rest assured that you are in good hands with SERVPRO for the fire and smoke damage restoration process. We can perform fire restoration quickly to increase the chances of limiting the damage.
We are available 24 hours a day to respond to fire damage emergencies. We can perform efficient fire and smoke cleanup in your Yorktown home and restore affected materials and belongings. Our SERVPRO team can take these steps to fix your residence:
- Fire and smoke assessment
- Board up and roof tarping
- Water removal and drying
- Soot removal
- Rebuilding or reconstruction
Fire and smoke assessment
Our SERVPRO technicians can perform a full inspection in all affected areas of your residence. Accounting for all the fire and smoke damage enables us to develop an action plan.
Board up and roof tarping
We can protect your home from further damage by boarding up openings in the walls, doors, or windows and tarping the roof. The covering materials we can use include roofing tarpaulins, exterior grade plywood, and rolls of polyethylene sheeting.
Water removal and drying
If there is water and moisture from fire suppression efforts, our SERVPRO technicians can remove it using portable extraction units. To dry the affected areas, we can use air movers to increase evaporation and the surface level and desiccant dehumidifiers to remove water vapor from the air. Desiccant dehumidifiers use chemicals called desiccants that have a high affinity for water. The chemicals readily absorb moisture from the air that the dehumidifiers process.
Soot removal
After smoke settles on surfaces as residues, it is known as soot. Soot residues may contain different acids that can cause corrosion and discoloration if they remain on materials over time. We can use dry cleaning sponges and specialized techniques to remove soot from every affected surface.
Rebuilding or reconstruction
This involves repairs like replacing drywall, carpet replacement, and painting.
Call SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County at (914) 241-8100 for fire damage repairs. We can make the fire damage seem, “Like it never even happened.”
How Can Homeowners Perform Fire Restoration in Mount Kisco?
11/22/2021 (Permalink)
After a fire incident takes place, you can trust that your home is in good hands with the experienced technicians at SERVPRO.
It is Critical to Hire a Company Like SERVPRO to Perform Fire Restoration in Their Mount Kisco Homes.
Fire is an unfortunate event for any homeowner. Fire damage restoration demands a systematic strategy. It would help if you avoided re-entry of the impacted property until competent professionals declare it safe. It is also critical to work with a professional restoration company like SERVPRO to return your property to its pre-fire damage condition.
Dealing with the aftermath of fire as a property owner can be frightening. Fortunately, if you hire our team of highly experienced experts, we can promptly complete fire restoration in your Mount Kisco home. Delaying repair in just a few hours might result in a wide range of irreversible damages and costs. Furthermore, conducting the restoration yourself can result in additional damage, especially if you lack the necessary expertise and tools.
SERVPRO offers cleaning and restoration services after a fire, which usually reduces fire damage claims expenses. The costliest option for insurance adjusters is a replacement because the ruined items are disposed of and replaced with new items. The other expensive option is resurfacing. We can repaint structural surfaces, refinish wood contents and recover upholstered contents. Cleaning soot and smoke residues necessitate the use of specialized products. To remove soils from surfaces, SERVPRO’s team of restorers might employ four alternative methods, including:
- Mechanical action
- Lubrication
- Chemical action
- Suspension and dispersion
Our SERVPRO team can use natural fabric brightener and a lowering bleach solution to clean porous surfaces such as furniture and carpets using chemical action. We can also use a ventilation box fan to remove odors and fumes on your property.
Fire damage can continue to wreak havoc on your property, even after putting out the flames. For proper repair, contact SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County at (914) 241-8100. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.
Where Can Homeowners Get Effective Fire Damage Restoration Services in Yorktown Heights?
9/26/2021 (Permalink)
Fire damage restoration is no easy task. SERVPRO IICRC certified techs are trained and experienced in all phases. Call now!
SERVPRO is the Company to Call When in Need of Fire Damage Repair in Yorktown Heights
Fire is a destructive event that can happen in anybody’s residence. As fire damage restoration professionals, our work as SERVPRO technicians has the power to change lives. The equipment, technique, and technology we use can make a significant difference. Kitchen fires are common, and they produce protein smoke damage. This occurs from the food that burns and smoke that clings to wood or painted surfaces, leading to permanent discoloration. Slow-burning fires produce wet smoke, and it is typically difficult to clean since it tends to be thick and sticky.
A strong odor is linked with the wet smoke, which makes clean-up more involved and longer. SERVPRO has the expertise required to perform fire damage restoration in your Yorktown Heights residence, including dealing with difficult odors. High-temperature fires cause dry smoke damage, which produces a fine powder form. The other type of smoke damage that can occur is petroleum smoke damage. It takes place when oil-based substances are burned. This kind of smoke can linger on any kind of material that it contacts and stains the surface. We can clean it with a solvent designed to cut through grease.
Smoke can also cause damage to contents with intricate detail like ceramics, figurines, porcelain, and crystals. Our SERVPRO team can use ultrasonic equipment to clean such items. When dealing with smoke, the largest issue that might arise is failing to remove it correctly. It is also essential to eliminate the source of any lingering smell. Some of the tools we can use to eliminate odors include:
- Air scrubbers
- Odor counteracting beads
- Deodorant pellets or granules
- Solvent-based thermal deodorizers
Our SERVPRO technicians can also use an activated charcoal or carbon filter to get the optical results when addressing smells. If some odors remain after performing other deodorization procedures, we can apply sealants to the affected surfaces to encapsulate the remaining odor residues.
SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County has the products and expertise required to deal with fire damage. Call us at any time on (914) 241-8100 for assistance.
Factors that Influence Soot Cleanup in Mount Kisco Homes
8/17/2021 (Permalink)
Fire, smoke, and soot damage is no DIY project. Call the professionals at SERVPRO for all the fire damage restoration services you need.
Cleaning Up After a Mount Kisco Structure Fire Should Happen as Soon as Possible By Trained Fire Restorers.
One of the most challenging obstacles after a fire damage event is the spread and deposits of soot and smoke odors. These generated effects from the combustion process infiltrate living spaces of the property and require direct action to remove.
What Factors Impact the Ease of Soot Cleanup?
Partial combustion of fuels can generate soot and make fire restoration in Mount Kisco homes and businesses a challenge. With several variables that impact the spread and severity of these lingering fire loss effects, understanding the correlation of specific factors and the difficulty of cleanup is critical. Some of the factors that impact the ease of soot and smoke residue removal include:
- Air Pressure – Atmospheric conditions can directly impact the residents and deposits homeowners contend with after a fire. High-pressures generated from a fire can force soot against vertical surfaces and into crevices/cracks.
- Temperature – The greater the heat involved with a fire, the more turbulent the conditions become. Violently churning smoke damage can leave deposits on nearly all exposed surfaces in a heavily damaged space.
- Available Pathways – Fire loss effects spread as fast and as far as the situation allows, so structural openings or the accessibility of the HVAC system can help odors and soot to reach otherwise unaffected areas of the house.
With multiple factors impacting the spread and severity of soot and smoke damage for a household, our SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County team is prepared for all levels of hazard and destruction. Our mitigation and restoration strategies can make fire losses “Like it never even happened.” Call us at (914) 241-8100.
DIY Fire Restoration May Do More Harm Than Good in Mount Kisco
6/21/2021 (Permalink)
It is tempting to DIY fire damage from small fires. Don't go ie alone! Call SERVPRO!
SERVPRO’s Fire Restoration Efforts Ensures Best Results for Mount Kisco Properties
From start to finish, water & fire damage restorations involve many intricate steps. Even Mount Kisco property owners with cleanup and refurbishment experience must know that minute soot deposits left within fire damaged homes can lead to corrosion or foul smells. With many years in the industry with proven success and accolades, SERVPRO addresses fire and smoke damage fast to bring your property back to pre-fire condition.
Any fire restoration project in Mount Kisco has many working parts – including smoke remediation, moisture detection, deodorization, and controlled demolition. SERVPRO handles soot and smoke residue followed by interior deodorization for your surface areas and contents. All musty odors also get addressed that may otherwise develop from water left after extinguishing flames.
SERVPRO brings a lot of equipment and technology to each fire restoration project, including:
- Vapor-release agents, gels, and beads that work to battle unpleasant odors.
- Enzyme-enhanced cleaners break down and dissolve odorous particles, making it easier for our powerful filtration units to pull them up.
- Ozone generators, air scrubbers, and other tools that help neutralize foul soot and smoke odors.
When it comes to house fire cleanup, controlled demolition is usually required to address unsalvageable charred debris. This work gets carried out by licensed, highly-trained contractors. The process of controlled demolition might include:
- Smaller repairs to drywall, flooring, and carpeting
- Larger repairs like a total reconstruction for one or several rooms within the home
Fire restoration and cleanup with SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County gets you the results you need and fast! Call us 24/7 for emergency response at (914) 241-8100.
Does The Fire Damage Restoration Method Used In My Mount Kisco Home Matter?
5/20/2021 (Permalink)
Fire damage restoration is no DIY project. SERVPRO has the manpower and equipment for every size of disaster.
SERVPRO Technicians Pay Attention to Detail for Successful House Fire Clean-Up in Mount Kisco
After your home is wrecked in a fire incident, your main concern might be how to clean up and repair affected areas so that you can continue your regular occupation. Therefore you are likely to accept any fire restoration solutions offered. However, you should consider how successful an approach is likely to address the damage to your property.
Successful fire damage restoration in Mount Kisco must address safety, efficiency and deliver a quality outcome. Proper preparation and strategizing are needful after inspecting the fire-damaged homes.
Our SERVPRO technicians consider how a specific solution is likely to help and why it is the best option since many of the damages left by fire can be resolved in different ways. For instance, removing soot from rough or unfinished surfaces is possible using various methods, including pressure washing, blast cleaning, or even sanding. For indoor locations, blast cleaning is better since it does not create a moisture problem while outdoors; we may opt for pressure washing since it is simpler. We make several other considerations for better outcomes during:
SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County is an established fire damage restoration company. Call us at (914) 241-8100
Where Do Homeowners in Mount Kisco Go For Fire Damage Restoration?
4/7/2021 (Permalink)
If you need professional assistance with fire damage, Call in the experts at (914) 241-8100. We are always available to help you!
SERVPRO Provides Professional Fire Damage Services to Return your Home to Pre Loss Condition
Cleaning and restoration services often reduce the expenses of a fire damage claim. Replacement is usually the expensive portion of insurance claims. While there are things in a fire that may need to be replaced, restoration can be the better way to go.
Restoration Instead of Replacement
After a fire, you need fire damage restoration in Mount Kisco, and SERVPRO can help. Restoration involves such things as:
- Repainting structural surfaces
- Recovering upholstered contents
- Refinishing wood content
Restoring costs much less than replacement or resurfacing. Our technicians apply the principles and elements of cleaning to return your home to preloss condition. This, in turn, lessens the loss expense of a fire claim.
Basic Principle of Cleaning Fire Damaged Homes
There are certain principles of cleaning restorers apply, and they include:
- Inspecting the area to locate smoke residue
- Identify the types of residue
- Identify the type of surface
- Capture and remove residues
- Dispose of residues
We start the inspection near the source of the fire and trace how far the smoke has moved. More than one kind of smoke residue can be present. The technicians determine the type of residue and then apply the appropriate cleaning methods. The surface impacted determines the cleaning agents used for restoration. For professional fire damage restoration services, contact SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County at (914) 241-8100.
What Can Be Salvaged After a Mount Kisco Fire?
1/24/2021 (Permalink)
Call SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County today at (914) 241-8100 if you need help with professional fire damage restoration.
SERVPRO’s fire damage service in Mount Kisco restores everything possible
The village of Mount Kisco was once part of the town of New Castle and the town of Bedford. In 1978, it became a town in its own right. While small, there are just over 10,800 people living there; it is a historical site of importance. It is believed the word Kisco means "mud" in the Munsee language. September of 1700 is when the mention of the town, Cisqua, appears in colonial records. It occurred in an Indian deed. The spelling was changed in 1850 by a local postmaster and was officially changed in 1875 when it became a village.
Washington – Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
During the Revolutionary War, the French sent troops to help the colonial forces. King Louis XVI sent out 450 officers and 5,300 soldiers under the command of Rochambeau. They landed in Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island on July 10, 1780. The goal was to march his men to where the colonial army was located near White Plains, NY. Mount Kisco was along the route, and on July 2, 1781, crossed the New York border.
Marching to Mount Kisco
The French troops set up their first brigade in Bedford Village. They then continued their journey along Route 172, which today is Mount Kisco. The village was home to the troops for six days until they marched out on July 6. They would continue their travel and aid the colonials in conquering the British army, winning independence for the states.
A Village of Historical Value
Not only did Mount Kisco play a substantial role in the Washington-Rochambeau route, but it also has buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. They include:
- Mount Kisco Municipal Complex
- Merestead
- St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
- St. Mark’s Cemetery
- United Methodist Church and Parsonage
Mount Kisco Municipal Complex
Certified as a national historic district, the Mount Kisco Municipal Complex consists of two buildings contributing to the status. They are the:
- Mount Kisco Town and Village Hall built in 1931
- United States Post Office built in 1936
They are architectural delights built in the Colonial Revival style. The Town and Village Hall features an octagonal clock tower that adds to the building’s charm. It once housed the Village Library until it got its own facility in the 1960s. The Post Office features a display of interior murals that tell the history of the town. They were completed by artist Thomas Donnelly in 1936. The buildings became part of the National Register in 1997.
SERVPRO Can Mitigate Fire Damage and Restore Your Home
We understand how difficult a fire can be on a family. Smoke odors permeate the home, and firefighters cause water damage. While necessary to put out the fire, it can add to the overwhelming stress homeowners experience.
Many people assume everything is a loss, but that is not always the case. Our technicians have the experience and training to provide restoration whenever possible. We do a scope of your home and then put together a plan of action. We clean and sanitize everything that has been impacted and can be saved. Our technicians also protect your home from further damage by:
- Tarping roofs and boarding up windows
- Removing water and chemicals from firefighting
- Drying your home
- Removing soot
- Cleaning and sanitizing restorable items
- Deodorizing the home
SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County provides professional fire damage services in Mount Kisco. Contact us at (914) 241-8100 for all your water, fire, and flood restoration needs.
Yorktown Heights Refuse and Recycling Event
12/4/2020 (Permalink)
It will be exciting to see the community taking care of their town by attending the recycling event!
Drop off E-Waste, Textiles, and Tires Dec 16th at the Yorktown Heights Recycling Center
Yorktown Heights is holding the last recycling event of the year on Dec 16th between 7:30 am and 2:30 pm. All residents can drop off E-Waste and textiles, as well as car tires. There will be a $5.00 drop off fee for each tire. Residents should note that they can no longer place tires in their bulk trash collections.
This is an excellent opportunity to get rid of those old keyboards, computers, laptops, printers, tablets, televisions, printers, even old cell phones in a safe and environmentally protective manner. These items, along with textiles, can be dropped off for free at the Refuse and Recycling department located at 2279 Crompond Road in Yorktown Heights. Fabrics should be placed in bags for ease of handling and processing. Old clothing, towels, sheets curtains are a few examples of the items that are being accepted.
Support your town and the local environment.
SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County provides fire damage removal and restoration services to Yorktown Heights Residential and commercial business customers and the surrounding area. Call (914) 241-8100. We are available 24/7to help with all your fire damage removal needs.
Can Professional Post-Fire Job Scoping Expedite Claims Approvals?
10/19/2020 (Permalink)
Yorktown Heights Residences Benefit from SERVPRO's Professional Fire Damage and Cleanup Services. We work with your insurance carrier.
Our SERVPRO professionals can work with your insurance provider to present the appropriate information necessary to approve damage claims made on Yorktown Heights homes after a fire.
Fires can be among the most destructive and damaging situations that your Yorktown Heights home faces. With the speed that fires can spread, first responders work fast to quell the flames and extinguish the blaze entirely. In the same vein, restoration professionals must respond as quickly once it is safe to begin initial actions that protect the property and its occupants. From temporary roof tarping and board up to content relocation and air quality control, we know how critical a fast response becomes.
Because fire damage restoration for Yorktown Heights homes can feature so many layers of cleaning and recovery, the process should begin as soon as possible. Unfortunately, home insurance policies do not always immediately greenlight all the restoration that your home needs beyond fire debris removal and specific mitigation tasks. Our SERVPRO team works to provide the most efficient and streamlined approach to get the go-ahead to begin clean up.
How Plausible is DIY Cleaning After a Fire?
Many homeowners attempt to provide the work and attention that their properties need after fire and water losses. The DIY approach is often undesirable when you consider several variables that make cleaning challenging and potentially hazardous. These include:
- Soot – Soot can be among the most palpable cleaning challenges for DIY approaches, primarily because exposure to these particles can be hazardous to your health. Also, depending on the material affected and the type of residue, many potential cleaning strategies might be necessary.
- Smoke – The spread and concentrations of smoke can directly impact the thickness and strength of odors after a fire loss. Deodorization techniques must get used to remedy these circumstances as soon as possible. Often these actions fall to thermal fogging and other approaches specific to professional restoration.
- Structural Damages – Not only can surface cleaning and deodorization be a concern, but the impact on fire debris and partial structural collapse showcase the need for professional restorers and contractors.
What Can Job Scoping Determine?
Pre-mitigation evaluations of the property can help each element of our SERVPRO response be on the same page with the structure's restoration needs. Each scoping task seeks to uncover the same underlying details about the building and its current conditions, including:
Your insurance company is not only for making damage claims easy, quick, and carefree. In many cases, you can get tied up in the processes and paperwork for days, all while your home's condition worsens. As a preferred vendor for many insurance companies in the area, we can directly reach out to them about what they require to approve your damage claim submission. Our initial inspection can provide several critical details, including:
- Estimations – Using software like Xactimate and other programs, we can maintain a concise and legible estimate of restoration and reconstruction services necessary after a fire loss.
- Damage Assessments – A thorough inspection of the property is part of what your insurance company is looking for when they insist on professional evaluations. We catalog damage and losses to streamline the approval process.
- Restoration Plan – Most insurance providers want to know the plan and suggested actions to return a property to preloss condition. Detailing this approach ensures that we can complete the restorative measures your house needs.
Is Professional Assessment Faster?
Perhaps one of the most direct advantages to SERVPRO damage assessment and scoping of the job is the efficiency of this approach. With our experience in the fire restoration niche, we know the signals and signs to look for when structural elements become compromised or other conditions that threaten the home or occupants. DIY evaluations can easily miss subtle cues of more significant concerns, but with the advanced tools and technologies that are part of our inspection and assessment, we can better protect your residence and its contents.
The value of pre-job scoping of fire-damaged properties cannot be understated. Not only can this evaluation help to determine the specific restoration plan for your property, but it can also provide the appropriate information for your insurance company to aid in the securing of a damage claim through your provider for your property. Because of how quickly these situations can get out of control, it is critical to contact our SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County team as soon as possible at (914) 241-8100.
A Fire in My Attic! Now, What Should I Do?
8/24/2020 (Permalink)
Fire damage cleanup and control by SERVPRO--We have advanced equipment to Help Yorktown Heights owners feel, "Like it never even happened."
For Fire Damage Restorations Services Inside the Attic in Your House in Yorktown Heights Call SERVPRO
The attic inside your Yorktown Heights home can contain heating vents and electrical wires, which could become the source of a small blaze. Even if the fire in your attic does not burn a large number of your structural components, issues can still arise. The smoke coming from the burnt materials can cause soot residues and foul odors to exist.
How do you determine what items in my house got affected by the fire?
As a part of fire damage restoration in Yorktown Heights, our SERVPRO technicians start the process by inspecting your entire house for the presence of charred materials, soot residues, and foul odors. We start examining from the source of the blaze and then work from there and then into other areas of your home. Depending on the rigor of the fire, we may find that sections of your ceilings or roof trusses got burnt bad enough to where they have to be removed and replaced. If there are no building materials that got charred significantly, then we can access your attic and decide what we can do to remove stored contents along with the residues to help expel unpleasant aromas.
How can you remove residues and foul odors from my attic?
- Remove Surface Charring: If there is charring on your roofing trusses or other wood inside your attic that is less than a quarter-inch deep, then we can sand off the burnt materials.
- Another method is to use dry-ice blasting--rasping the slight charring with pressured pellets--and no water to exacerbate the damage
- Remove Damaged Insulation: If the insulation inside your attic comes into contact with smoke or gets burnt, then we can remove and replace it so that the materials are not the source of foul odors.
- Seal Wooden Structural Components: After the charring gets removed from any affected wood in your attic, we can spray the areas with a specialized sealant paint to seal in any burnt smells.
If you have a fire start inside your attic, call SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County at (914) 241-8100 24/7.
How Do I Minimize Inconveniences After Fire Damage At My Yorktown Heights Home?
7/25/2020 (Permalink)
Call SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County at (914) 241-8100 to help. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.
SERVPRO Helps Evaluate the Level of Damage To The Yorktown Heights Property Determining The Best Ways to Handle Renovation
Fire can start any time at your property, sparked by unattended cooking or electrical faults, among other things. When such an incident happens, you have to worry about the repair costs as well as the inconveniences that you have to face as you renovate. Highly trained crews from SERVPRO quickly respond when notified about fire incidents in Yorktown Heights properties and can help find ways to minimize inconveniences.
What typical inconveniences develop after fire damage in Yorktown Heights?
• Heavy soiling leaves items unusable
• Discomfort due to smoky or particulate-filled air
• Unexpected openings such as shattered windows
Although the combustion process manifests physically, it is a chemical process that consumes materials and also produces various byproducts, which spread throughout the property. For instance, smoke is driven by convectional currents to colder areas within the house depositing soot on open surfaces and enclosed spaces. In the aftermath of a fire incident in Yorktown Heights, you might need to seek alternative accommodation since it might be dangerous or uncomfortable to stay in the damaged house. Venturing into the property can also cause additional damages, such as spreading residues to unaffected areas.
Are there ways to reduce the inconvenience?
Each incident presents different circumstances depending on the intensity of the fire loss, layout, and size of the property. However, some actions, especially when taken in time, can help manage the inconveniences you face. Our SERVPRO crews help by taking actions such as:
• Expediting restoration processes
• Isolating affected rooms the rest of the property
• Moving items
Refurbishing a house affected by fire takes several steps. Even after a minor incident, there are surfaces to clean and contents to dry or move around, so it takes time. For the major incidents, the workload increases because steps such as demolition and reconstruction of damaged areas are necessary. Our crews help expedite restoration in different ways. For instance, we have more people and equipment to handle different restoration processes. Our extensive experience handling fire incidents helps us gain a better understanding of the loss at your property, thus eliminating trial and error approaches that waste time. For instance, we can evaluate items faster and determine what is salvageable and what requires immediate removal for disposal.
Is it necessary to move all items when restoring fire damage?
Moving items can help minimize the inconveniences by removing obstacles around the work area or by increasing the space available to perform various restoration processes. However, moving items is also an inconvenience. Some items, such as furniture or appliances, are heavy and bulky, while others are fragile.
Our SERVPRO technicians help assess the situation and decide whether the movement is necessary. We also determine whether to move items to offsite storage or within one section of the property. In some cases, we also bring temporary storage units to your property to help hold items safely as we perform the restoration. We have tools such as air sleds or dollies, and our crews are trained on the best ways to handle heavy items when transferring them, thus simplifying the movement process.
Can we continue occupying the property during the renovation?
Seeking an alternative place to stay as the fire damage in your house is fixed is perhaps one of the greatest inconveniences that you loathe due to reasons such as:
• The extra cost of alternate accommodation
• Safety of the damaged property
• Disruption of your daily routines
Moving out of the damaged property even after smaller fire incidents is a practical step for your safety and other reasons. Fires leave harmful aerosols and soot in the air, and inhalation can lead to respiratory issues. Structure issues can also develop due to deep charring of wall or ceiling frames, making it risky to continue occupying the house.
Our SERVPRO technicians can help you deal with the issues related to moving or occupying the house during renovation. If your insurance adjuster determines that you can continue occupying the house, we help perform emergency cleaning to make the property 'livable' during the restoration period. We clean utility areas such as the kitchen and bathroom. We can also seal off the affected area from the rest of the house. In case you seek alternative accommodation, we board up the property to secure it from weather elements and vandals, giving you peace of mind.
Fixing a fire-damaged property is never convenient, but assistance from a professional restorer can help lighten the load when restoring your Mount Kisco, Bedford, or Armonk home. Call SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County at (914) 241-8100 to help. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.
How Can I Remove Soot Residues from My Mount Kisco Walls and Ceilings After a Fire?
6/3/2020 (Permalink)
If you ever notice that your walls and ceilings are coated with soot residues after a fire, call SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County.
SERVPRO Can Utilize Various Techniques and Chemicals to Remove all Soot Residues Inside your Mount Kisco Home
If a fire breaks out inside your house in Mount Kisco, the smoke can cause several issues aside from the materials it burns. Partially combusted particles can travel through your building and harden in the form of soot when it touches cooler surfaces like your walls and ceilings.
How do you determine what type of chemicals and techniques to use?
When working towards removing soot during fire damage restoration in Mount Kisco, our SERVPRO technicians start by finding all of your building materials and contents that got affected by soot. Once we determine where the smoke traveled, we then figure out what type of soot is present by determining what the blaze burned as fuels. For hard non-porous surfaces, we can use water-based, wet cleaning procedures, and for softer porous surfaces, we can use dry cleaning methods.
Why do some surfaces have to be dry cleaned?
Porous surfaces are unwashable because water-based solutions can cause the soot to soak deeper into the material. Softer materials like acoustic ceilings or drywall can be cleaned using dry sponges, vacuuming, dry wiping, or other methods. Sponges can be effective when cleaning different types of walls and ceilings because they can keep removing soils after they absorb a large number of residues.
What types of chemicals do you use when wet cleaning harder surfaces?
• General Surface Cleaners- These detergents can be used on most painted and washable surfaces. Their alkalinity is low enough to where it will not ruin semi-gloss surfaces.
• Heavy-Duty Cleaners- Heavy-duty detergents are effective when removing heavy grease and soils that are difficult to remove. They are usually high alkaline solutions that can ruin finished surfaces.
• Strong Acid Cleaners- Solutions high on the acidic side are excellent at cleaning soot residues from stone and brick items.
If you ever notice that your walls and ceilings are coated with soot residues after a fire, call SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County at (914) 241-8100 any time of the day.
How Do I Get Soot Off of My Walls In My Mount Kisco Home?
4/8/2020 (Permalink)
“Like it never even happened.”
SERVPRO of Mount Kisco Can Swiftly Remediate the Fire Damage Causing Soot Stains in Your Home
Many Mount Kisco homeowners may find themselves needing to deal with fire damage at some point in their life. Unfortunately, damage from a blaze can leave many reminders behind, such as soot stains.
How can SERVPRO address the soot staining my walls from the fire damage in my Mount Kisco home?
• Identification: Depending on what the fire inside your home burned, the compounds that make up the greasy stains on your wall may need different agents to break them down.
• Cleaning: Our SERVPRO techs can use several cleaning methods to lift the soot from your walls. Scrubbing used in combination with the right cleaning agent can break down the soot.
• Sealing: In rare cases, a fresh coat of a special sealing-paint may be needed to lock in odors and touch up the color after removal.
Contact SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County right now if your home needs fire damage remediation. Dial (914) 241-8100 to get in touch with one of our representatives. We're open 24/7.
For more about Mount Kisco click here.
We Have Effective Techniques To Restore Your Mount Kisco Home After A Fire
2/19/2020 (Permalink)
After a fire hit this home we removed all the charred building elements and belongings and deodorized the home. We act fast to prevent further damage.
Deodorizing after Fire Damage in Your Mount Kisco Home
After a fire, one of the most challenging issues is ridding your home and all of its contents of the awful smoke-smell. It is vital to use the appropriate deodorization procedures so that you are not smelling smoke for weeks or months to come. Surprisingly, even the smallest of fires can permeate smoke throughout your entire home.
If you have fire damage after a fire in Mount Kisco, chances are you need to deodorize your home in conjunction with cleaning and repairing any structural damage that you may have. Contents within the home may best undergo cleaning and deodorization in an offsite facility while the rest of your home is undergoing deodorization.
Fire damage restoration involves both removing the smoke residues and also deodorizing the smoke odors/ The first step is to remove the odor source if possible. However, it is essential to leave debris until the insurance company or fire department inspect and make the appropriate assessments. Next, SERVPRO technicians clean odor-causing residues from surfaces using a detergent/deodorant solution such as SERVPRO's specially formulated detergent/deodorizer Wall and All Surface Cleaner. Using odor counteracting beads or pellets helps to control odor vapors.
It is critical to inspect for odor pockets in crawl spaces, small spaces above ceilings, and wall cavities. SERVPRO technicians re-create the conditions of odor penetration by using either a thermal or ULV fogger to dissipate deodorizer throughout the home attacking smoke odors in every nook and cranny. During this process, residents and pets most likely need to leave the premises for safety purposes while the technicians wear personal protective gear limiting any chemical exposure.
After the technicians fog the impacted areas, they inspect the HVAC system, especially if it was in use during the fire. They may choose to place cheesecloth over the vents to determine the amount and severity of the smoke within the HVAC system, while also acting as a filter to stop any smoke vapors from re-entering the home.
Contact SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County for 24/7 assistance after a fire at (914) 241-8100.
See more about Mount Kisco.
Call Us After A Fire In Yorktown Heights
11/4/2019 (Permalink)
Our SERVPRO team can clean up and remove the debris, as we focus on combatting the odors with hydroxyl generators and air scrubbers.
Deodorization Equipment for Fire-Damaged Yorktown Heights Homes
Deodorization is a critical component to the full recovery of Yorktown Heights properties after a fire loss incident. Our team must work to secure the structure with our arrival, determining the scope of the damage and what – if any – portions of the construction materials must get removed and later replaced. The more fire debris and damaged contents that can get removed from the home, the less overwhelming and robust smoke odors are.
Choosing the right equipment to recover specific effects of fire damage in Yorktown Heights homes is vital to making the process as efficient and cost-effective as possible. Despite how expensive you might perceive professional restoration to be, our SERVPRO professionals remain devoted to offering the most streamlined approach. For lingering concerns like smoke odors, our technicians have multiple pieces of equipment that we can choose from based on the severity and spread of these effects.
Our fire damage recovery technicians have accreditations in either Fire & Smoke Restoration (FSRT) or Odor Control (OCT), and some of our experienced staff have both. This training and expertise help our crew to choose the right tool for the job on every deodorization task.
- Thermal/UV Foggers – These units heat a deodorizing solution into a fine, vapor fog. The composition of this output has particles small enough to penetrate affected surfaces like drywall and wood, making it an ideal choice for soft materials with trapped smoke odors.
- Hydroxyl Generators – A multipurpose machine that can work to deodorize a broad area with a UV spectrum, but also work on cleaning the affected environment as well with this same process.
- Ozone Machines – Generating ozone can be hazardous to those immediately exposed to the process but remains one of the fastest and most effective means of removing harsh smoke odors. Ozone has an additional oxygen molecule that can bond with odor compounds to neutralize them. Once a room has aired out following a specific deodorization, it is safe to return.
Choosing the right equipment is the discretion of the technicians on site, but when it comes to overcoming the harsh odors of fire loss, you can count on our SERVPRO of Northern Westchester County team. Give us a call today at (914) 241-8100.
See more about Yorktown Heights.
Keep Summer Safe
7/14/2016 (Permalink)
Soil Embers
Public Service Announcement – Keep Summer Safe
A: Three
Q: How many fires has your team mitigated in the last year that started in potted plants?
Potting soil is comprised of peat, bark, perlite and coconut coir. This highly flammable mix can turn a lazy afternoon on a deck to tragedy with the tamping of a single cigarette butt. If you doubt it go to the Wizard of Oz (or Google) and type in “fire potting soil”. The picture is not pretty.
Dry potting soil requires only a tiny catalyst to begin smoldering and this is significantly underappreciated hazard. What’s worse the embers can expand unseen and burn out the bottom of a plastic hanging planter box.
Avoid tragedy by using ashtrays, keep your plants watered, use clay pots, keep combustible material away from plants, and dispose of potting soil carefully.
Latex Foam reopens two weeks after fires
7/16/2014 (Permalink)
Firefighters are on scene in the aftermath of an early morning fire at the Latex International factory on Thursday, June 26, 2014.
SHELTON -- The prospect of Latex Foam reopening two weeks after two significant fires was doubtful.
But that's what happened Monday, as many of the company's 150 employees returned to work.
"It was a tremendous undertaking by everyone," said Allen Randolph, owner of SERVPRO of New Haven, Waterbury, the Naugatuck Valley and northern Westchester County which managed the cleanup. "Half of our staff lives in the Valley. We consider the Valley our home turf, so we're proud to have helped save these jobs."
Mayor Mark Lauretti said he drove by the company Monday morning and noticed the parking lot was full.
"This is good news for those who are employed there," the mayor said. "People need to work. They need the paycheck to pay their bills and feed their families."
Attempts to reach officials at Latex Foam by telephone were unsuccessful Monday. The general voicemail box was full and not accepting new calls.
Randolph credited David Fisher, Latex's chief executive officer, and the company's insurance team with providing the necessary resources to get the business back in operation.
Fisher "told us early on that it was his expectation to reopen July 14 and it was our job to do it," Randolph said. "There was never any discussion of failure to meet that goal."
There may not have been any discussion, but there were obstacles, like the second fire which struck just four days after the devastating first one that had required firefighters to pump more than 150,000 gallons of water on the blaze.
It seems black clouds have loomed over Latex Foam, which arose from the ashes of an arson that destroyed its predecessor -- Sponge Rubber Products -- on March 1, 1975. There was also the catastrophic 2001 weeklong fire that consumed the company's Ansonia headquarters, sending the company to its present River Road site. And two company executives are serving federal prison terms for embezzling $3.5 million. And there is the current bankruptcy petition to reorganize $29 million in debts.
The June 26 and 30 fires could have been the final straw.
"We were about 90 percent finished drying the basement when the second fire struck on June 30 at 11 a.m.," Randolph said. "That was a smaller fire and a lot less water was used."
But Randolph's crews, which worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week and at times numbered 170 people, attacked the clean-up in three stages. SERVPRO brought in extra employees from their Rhode Island, New York and Tennessee companies and members of ERS Services in Indiana to clean inside the machinery.
The first cleanup, which began June 26 and ended July 2, involved drying and cleaning the offices. The second, which ended Sunday, involved drying, cleaning and disinfecting rollers, conveyors, presses, machinery, pipes, rollers and conveyors through which the product moves.
The third stage, which is still progressing, involves cleaning non-critical working areas.
During the cleanup, Randolph said, SERVPRO brought in 200 air movers, 17 scissor lifts, a gigantic trailer-based desiccant dryer which removes condensation from compressed air and "a lot of guys with mops and wet-vacs."
mmayko@ctpost.com, 203-330-6286
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