24/7 Emergency Service
Heat Wave/Wild Fire Damage
6/15/2022 (Permalink)
Heat Waves Can Cause Infrastructural Damage
As heat causes metals to expand, heat waves can lead to major infrastructural defects. Power transformers can detonate causing fires. Water lines can burst to cause the loss of water and water shortage. Heat waves can also induce the kinking or buckling of railroads. Highways can melt or develop cracks in extreme heat. For example, two traffic lanes in Oklahoma City, US, had to be closed during the 2006 North American heat wave after they buckled under the heat. Blackouts resulted during this event due to damaged power transformers.
Climate change, caused by society’s activities, is undoubtedly the factor that has aggravated heat waves and forest fires. Higher ambient temperatures cause melting to start earlier, leading to drier and more flammable biomass in forests. Recent studies clearly indicate that these increases in the frequency of heat waves and forest fires.
Heat wave fire/forest fire damage to home:
Flames and smoke from wildfires can affect the following areas of the home or business property, including:
- Fabrics (carpets, rugs, clothes, upholstery) may become discolored
- Furniture can be damaged, depending on the material used
- Walls may become damaged by heat transfers
- Windows can become discolored or warp
- Plants and soil may become harmed or contaminated by smoke
- Concrete can crack because of dehydration or prolonged heat-exposure
- Roofs may become damaged by burning embers drifting from nearby flames
Taking the Right Precautions
If you find yourself in an area which may become affected by a wildfire and / or its smoke, it may be tempting to stay in your property to combat damage. However, it’s vital to remember that your safety, and those of your loved ones and pets, has to come first.
Take any essentials you may need and leave the property together, taking the safest route possible. Depending on the wildfire’s path, your home or business may well avoid the worst of it, enabling you to move back in in only a few days.
However, regardless of the amount of damage you believe your home or business site may suffer, you can take certain steps to reduce the effects. Some of them may be more obvious than others, but they can all contribute:
- Move any combustible objects or materials away from the outside of the property; anything which may ignite or be flammable only adds to the danger posed.
- Keep every window and door shut, to combat smoke and soot penetrating the property as much as you can.
- Be sure that any external furniture is either covered or moved inside, to try to stop them becoming damaged; outdoor furniture can contribute to the overall cost of replacing goods.
- Avoid throwing damaged items away, as some may be able to be repaired or cleaned.
- Switch off your air conditioning systems.
SERVPRO OF COLTON/LOMA LINDA/GRAND TERRACE
IS READY TO HELP 24/7 JUST CALL (909)514-1900
After the fire trucks leave, your home likely suffers from fire and smoke damage and extensive water damage from firefighting efforts. SERVPRO has the specialized fire restoration training needed to restore your home to pre-fire condition.