Health Benefits of Using Professional Fire Damage Restoration

As a homeowner, your residence is not just shelter, it provides a place to gather with family and friends. It also acts as a refuge to the world outside. If you’re a business owner, your commercial property is crucial for your livelihood. It’s terrifying when a fire rages through your southcentral Montana business or home.

In addition to posing a deadly threat, blazes are ruthless and capable of causing huge amounts of damage to any structure in a very short time. Sadly, 166 structures were destroyed in Montana in the course of the 2020 wildfire season.

When the unthinkable happens, you should seek a professional fire damage restoration to remediate the damage as soon as possible to avoid any health hazards and mitigate permanent destruction to your property and belongings. You might be tempted to clean up the damage on your own, but don’t! The best way to protect your health and property is to work with a professional restoration company. They’ll employ certified experts who can minimize your losses and allow you to get back to your life ASAP.

Here are some health hazards that can be avoided by working with a professional fire restoration company:

Respiratory Issues and Heart Conditions

All smoke contains carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter (or soot). It can also include harmful chemicals such as acid gases, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Inhaling carbon monoxide decreases the body’s oxygen supply, which can cause headaches, reduce alertness, and exacerbate angina. Soot exposure is even linked to certain types of cancer.

Very fine particles that linger in your living or working environment after a blaze can cause serious respiratory troubles by penetrating the lungs. Initially, these problems can manifest as cold or allergy symptoms, but they can rapidly become much more serious. For those living with asthma – a whopping 83,280 people in Montana alone – particulate matter can cause permanent lung damage.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as chronic bronchitis, an inflammation of the lining of the lungs, and emphysema, a condition in which the lung’s air sacs become damaged and stretch, can also result from lingering smoke and soot.

Skin and Eye Troubles

The soot that remains after a fire can cause skin irritation or dryness, exacerbating chronic dermal conditions such as eczema. If soot is present in your home, it can embed itself into your clothing, causing further skin irritation. Tiny soot particles can also irritate your eyes, causing them to sting, burn, and become red and itchy.

Mold Hazards

The huge amounts of water that firefighters must use to smother flames can leave behind excess moisture that can cause mold spores to proliferate. For those with mold allergies, the fungus causes sneezing, stuffy noses, cough, postnasal drip, wheezing, eye irritation, and dry skin.

In addition, mold that grows on a structure’s surfaces can weaken a home’s foundation. It may also cause deterioration in wallpapers, drywall, and floor surfaces, eventually causing structure weakening that leads to permanent damage.

Leave Fire Restoration to the Pros

The bottom line is, leave fire cleanup to the professionals. Professional fire damage restoration experts use industrial-strength air ventilation machines and specially-designed clothing and face coverings so that they don’t have to expose themselves to health hazards. In addition, they understand the hidden perils that you can’t see, including airborne chemicals. They’ll also have access to tools created to remove chemical, soot and ash, and remove lingering odors.

Alpha-Omega is the leading disaster restoration company serving home and business owners in Billings, Laurel, Red Lodge. Our disaster recovery team is dedicated to a strong work ethic, unwavering integrity, and exceptional customer service.