Ensuring Security: Steps To Take After a Fire

5/12/2022 (Permalink)

Ensure Your Building Is Secure After a Fire

A fire in your commercial building will likely leave you with a long task list. One of the first things on that list should be security. Fire damage can make your property vulnerable to inclement weather, vandalism and theft. There are three main steps to ensure your building is secure after a blaze.

1. Make Necessary Calls

One of the first contacts you should make after you call your insurance agent is to a fire restoration company. Not only does this get the fire cleanup process started quickly before secondary damage can occur, it also enlists experts who can advise you on how to best secure your building. While you may have thought to lock the doors and board up the windows, you may not be thinking about the damage a rainstorm could cause through the new hole in the roof. Certified specialists are trained to identify every step needed to protect your property well.

2. Enact Protection Plan

The safety plan for your building should include securing it after fire damage occurs. Know who is in charge of completing the walkthrough with emergency personnel and preparing the subsequent report. Delegate a specific person to make sure the structure is boarded up. It’s also a good idea to have a watch team that acts as a guard against would-be intruders until experts can secure the area properly.

3. Remove Valuables

Some people look at buildings in vulnerable states as targets for their next crime. Looting is a real possibility after a fire. Fortunately, there is an easy way to prevent this problem. The best way to protect your valuables is simply to remove them from the compromised structure. Thieves can’t steal something that isn’t there.

Fire damage is enough of a problem itself. You don’t need to add to your worries by leaving your building open to other issues. Securing your property while it is being restored may protect it from further risk.

SERVPRO of Tulsa Hills, Sapulpa does boards up.  Give us a call 918-248-1440

Actions Homeowners Should Take After A Fire

4/28/2022 (Permalink)

Many homeowners can easily relay tips to prevent fires. Most can communicate the actions to take when a house in on fire. But, how many know what to do after a fire? How do you file a fire insurance claim? What does fire restoration involve? What are you, the homeowner, expected to do? Take the following actions after a fire to begin the recovery process for your home and personal effects.

How Do I File a Fire Insurance Claim?

• Coverage and procedure depend on your specific policy, so call your insurance agent as soon as possible to discuss the details.
• The agent and adjuster walk you through the necessary steps and paperwork.

What Is Fire Restoration?

• Immediately contact a reputable fire and smoke cleaning company. The professionals communicate with you and your insurance adjustor throughout the process.
• The course to restore your home and belongings starts with inspection and assessment of the damage.
• For your safety and to reduce the risk of further damage, do not touch or attempt to clean your home yourself. If the area is exposed, the restoration experts may cover your home with a roof tarp or board up windows.
• Firefighters use a lot of water to put out the flames. The professionals will remove the excess water and use specialized equipment to dry your space.
• After your home is dry, professional soot and smoke cleaning commences. The area is then cleaned and sanitized.
• Finally, the process of restoration begins. Depending on the amount of damage, this may include minor touchups such as painting or major construction such as replacing walls. The goal is to return your home to its pre-fire condition.

Do everything you can to prevent fires in your home. If your home catches fire in call the fire department to put out the blaze. After the initial shock of your house fire wears off, call your insurance agent and SERVPRO of Tulsa Hills, Sapulpa to help you put your home and life back together again.

SERVPRO of Tulsa Hills, Sapulpa 918-248-1440

What To Do When You Smell Natural Gas

4/28/2022 (Permalink)

A gas fire or gas explosion runs the risk of destroying property and poses a threat of serious injury. If you smell natural gas, there are five steps that you should take to promote your own safety and that of other people or pets in your home and the surrounding area.

1. Check stoves and gas appliances. If you smell gas, you should make sure that all of the burners on a gas stove and the oven are turned off. Listen for hissing noises around other gas appliances.

2. Keep the lights off. If a large amount of gas is present in your home, turning on a light or powering on an electrical appliance may cause a spark that starts a gas fire or explosion. You may use a battery-operated flashlight when inspecting appliances and potential sources for a leak.

3. Shut off the gas meter. If you cannot stop the source of a gas leak in your home, you can shut off your gas meter by turning the main valve from on to off.

4. Ventilate the interior. Open all of the doors and windows of your home and use fans, if you have them, to remove gases from the interior. This will reduce the risk of explosion, fire, or prolonged exposure.

5. Evacuate and call emergency numbers. Leave your home and call 911 and your gas company to report a leak from a safe distance away, at least across the street.

A leak can cause a gas explosion if a spark is created by electrical equipment in your residence. For this reason, you should have a plan for what to do in the event of a leak and proceed as cautiously as possible. If you do experience a gas fire, you should have residential damage restoration experts assess the damage and develop a remediation plan. 

SERVPRO of Tulsa Hills, Sapulpa 918-248-1440

3 Tips for Preventing a Cigarette Fire

4/11/2022 (Permalink)

Steps To Prevent A Cigarette Fire

Did you know that, according to the National Fire Prevention Association, a cigarette fire is still in the top five leading causes of home fires? There are several ways to reduce the chance of this happening in your home. If you have suffered a home fire already, it's best to contact a fire cleanup and restoration specialist.

1. Smoke Outdoors
The easiest way to prevent an ashtray fire is to smoke outdoors. Not only does this prevent smoke odor from soaking into your furniture and carpets, but it also ensures that a fire is much less likely. Ideally, if you're smoking outside, your surroundings are either concrete or gravel, not grass or brush. If a fire does start, it's easy to quickly stomp it out if the surroundings are fire-resistant. In the colder months, instead of moving back indoors, consider buying a small portable heater that plugs into a wall outlet or extension cord. This way, you stay warm and continue to keep your risk low.

2. Keep Flammable Objects Away
The main goal of fire prevention is to make sure that a fire has nothing to burn. Besides ensuring that you're not wearing extremely loose-fitting clothing, you should also not smoke near any rugs or other cloth. Additionally, when you extinguish your cigarette, be sure to do so either in an ashtray or thoroughly stop it out on the concrete. If you use an ashtray, be sure that it, too, is not around any flammable objects on the chance that your smoke wasn't put out all the way. This is one of the leading causes of a cigarette fire.

3. Ashtray Safety
In addition to ensuring that your ashtray is in an appropriate area, also be careful when you empty it. Check that it is cool and that all cigarettes are completely extinguished. Waste bin fires are extremely common, and you'd be surprised by how easily they start. There is a surprising amount of easily flammable or explosive materials in the trash: paper, leaves, batteries, and aerosol cans.
Be prepared. Take steps to prevent a cigarette fire.