Plus, Answers to Other Commonly Asked House Fire Questions

Did you know that house fires can spread and become unmanageable in as little as 30 seconds?

Well, it’s true. Experts say that materials commonly found in a home, such as wood, fabric from curtains and wall hangings, and synthetic materials can all cause a small blaze to accelerate quickly.

Then, before you know it, you have an out of control fire that could seriously damage, or outright destroy your home.

Here are answers to other frequently asked house fire related questions.

What fire safety precautions should I take?

To help prevent the spread of a house fire  and ultimately sell a fire-damaged house, you should keep multiple fire extinguishers in your home. Place them in the places where house fires occur most frequently, which includes the kitchen, the garage and upstairs bedrooms.

By having extinguishers in multiple locations, it will be easier to grab one more quickly if a fire does occur.

Also, be sure to check the extinguishers frequently to make sure they are still usable.

Another recommended safety precaution is before bed to conduct a quick walk around your house to ensure the stove is off and there are no burning candles or electric appliances left on. Each of these things is a frequent cause of house fires.

How can I escape a house fire?

The best thing to do is to have escape routes planned out. Go over the routes with everyone in the house and even conduct at least one yearly fire escape practice to keep everyone informed and up-to-date.

What you should not do is try to escape the fire by getting in the refrigerator or shower.

Yes, refrigerators are air tight but this is both a good and bad thing. The fire will be kept out of the inside of the refrigerator but chances are you’ll run out of air while inside.

The shower may also protect your from the flames but it does nothing for the smoke that is produced by the fire. That smoke can quickly fill your lungs, cause you to pass out and eventually die.

Also, the pipes that bring water to the shower are likely in the fire which then heats the water to very high temperatures.

If there is a fire in your house, you and other family members need to get out fast. Remember, fires can spread in 30 seconds or less.

Just how dangerous is smoke from a house fire?

The smoke is actually very dangerous. That’s because house fire smoke is filled with toxic chemicals that can harm both the outside of your body (your skin and eyes) as well as the inside of your body (throat and lungs) when breathed in.

You should try to limit how much smoke you breathe in. One way to do that is to get on the floor and crawl instead of walk out of the house during a fire.

Another thing you can do is wet a rag and place it over your mouth and nose. The water in the rag will help filter out the smoke.

What about after a house fire, is smoke still an issue?

Smoke damage can get into the air ducts, into the walls, into furniture and flooring.

It can also be very difficult to get rid of. Most experts recommend hiring a professional smoke removal cleaning company to address the issue.

Doing this can also help to give you peace of mind, often homeowners feel stressed and concerned after a house fire that they and family members are breathing in smoke and soot that can lead cause long term negative health consequences.

Are there other issues to worry about after a house fire?

Yes, studies have shown that mold can also become a problem that affects residents’ long term health. Mold often arises from water damage that occurred while firefighters were trying to put out the fire.

Black mold needs moisture to grow and can quickly get large enough to begin negatively impacting human health.

Symptoms of exposure to black mold include unexplained coughing; postnasal drip; itchy eyes, nose and throat; congestion; sneezing; and more.

Prolonged exposure can lead to chronic fatigue, headaches and other bothersome symptoms.

What can I do to avoid these health issues after a house fire?

The best thing to do is to hire highly experienced professional cleaners to clean the home and a knowledgeable contractor to repair the damage.

It is critical that all damage, even that which is not visible to the naked eye, is repaired. That’s why, hiring a contractor with lots of experience handling house fire repairs is crucial.

Unfortunately, both cleaners and contractors with house fire experience can be expensive.

Another option to avoid the stress and worry that comes with fire damage repair and with living in a home that has been damaged by house fire is to sell the house.

You can try to sell the house on your own or through a real estate agent but selling a house that has been fire damaged is not easy.

Unsurprisingly, most people don’t want to buy a home that previously burned. They, too, are worried about health consequences and about shoddy repairs that may make another fire more likely.

Sell Your Home to We Buy Fire Damaged Houses

That’s why, another great option is for you to sell your fire-damaged house in “as is” condition to We Buy Fire Damaged Houses.

That way, you can skip the repair process all together and you can get paid much faster. We Buy Fire Damaged Houses pays in all cash to speed up the process.

You can use the money you receive from the sale along with your insurance settlement to buy a terrific new home. You can then create new family memories in that home without having to worry about remaining smoke damage or mold affecting your health.

To learn much more about We Buy Fire Damaged Houses and to see if your burned home qualifies for a free quote, fill out the short form below.

Photo by Andrew Gaines on Unsplash.