Understanding fire: What to know if fire occurs in your Portland home or business

1/13/2020 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Northwest Portland NOW at 503-SERVPRO.

STOP! If you have fire or smoke damage in your property right now, call us at 503-SERVPRO RIGHT NOW. Don’t wait to mitigate - the longer damage sits unattended, the more likely it will develop secondary damage. Call us at 503-SERVPRO now.

Here at SERVPRO of Northwest Portland, our thoughts are with Australia as they work to contain the bushfires sweeping their country. We understand the devastation of wildfires, having traveled to California in recent years to assist families and businesses recover from them. We also understand the devastation and the struggle of trying to build your life back up after your home or business sustains fire damage. 

Preparedness advocacy is a large part of what we do here at SERVPRO, and in light of the recent coverage of the fires in Australia, we wanted to share crucial information to remember if your home or business ever experiences a fire.

• Fire is FAST! In less than 30 seconds a small flame can turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house or for it to be engulfed in flames.
• Fire is HOT! Heat is more threatening than flames. Room Temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super-hot air will scorch your lungs and melt clothes to your skin. 
• Fire is DARK! Fire starts brights, but quickly produces black smoke and complete darkness.
• Fire is DEADLY! Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than flames do. Fire produces poisonous gases that make you disoriented and drowsy. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a three-to-one ratio. 

SERVPRO of Northwest Portland will be sharing more helpful information regarding the dangers of fires to residential homes and businesses in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for further information on how to prepare, respond, and rebuild after a fire. If you have smoke or fire damage in your home or business, call SERVPRO NOW at 503-283-3658.

Sources: Ready.Gov, The American Red Cross