What Happens When Fire and Water Damage Combine?

4/20/2020 (Permalink)

Fire damage in a Comanche, MT commercial building

How Water Compounds Fire Damage

The consequences of a fire at a commercial building in Comanche, MT, can include thousands of dollars in damage to building materials and contents. A burnt or singed structure and contents are only part of the aftermath of many fires. If sprinklers or hoses were used to extinguish the blaze, water cleanup may also be necessary. Find out more about how water compounds fire damage.

Standing Water
As a fire burns through building materials and contents, sprinklers and fire hoses can release hundreds of gallons of water into a structure. Water intensifies damage caused by a fire in several ways:

• Excessive weight
  
• Heightened risk of structural failure
  
• Increased risk of mold
  
  

Sprinklers and hoses release clean water. As soon as this water mixes with soot and smoke, it becomes highly contaminated Category Three water damage. Before fire and smoke cleanup can take place, all standing water must be pumped out of a structure.

Staining
The severity of staining increases rapidly as long as residual moisture remains in a structure. Soot and smoke damage become more set in whenever water is present. If water cleanup takes place as soon as possible, restoration measures may still be sufficient to fix partial damage. Burnt or singed materials must be replaced.

Structural Damage
Just one inch of standing water throughout an area can add thousands of pounds of weight to a structure. A building with severe fire damage may be likely to succumb to structural damage if standing water is present. Lingering moisture can also undermine weakened building materials. Timely cleanup and mitigation measures may limit the extent of damage.
Many fire cleanup jobs involve some water damage. Restoration professionals have experience with the unique requirements of water cleanup after a fire. If water is standing at a fire-damaged structure in Comanche, MT, the owners of a building or business should document this damage for a commercial insurance claim and pursue mitigation.