The aftereffects of a residential fire can linger for weeks. Smoke damage, layers of soot and heavy odors create an environment that’s very difficult to clean up. It takes the expertise of fire damage restoration specialists to get everything back to normal.
During the recovery process, you might ask yourself, “Can soot cause health problems?”
The answer is, “Yes.” Exposure to house fire soot can lead to a number of health issues. That risk is one of the reasons that fire cleanup companies recommend immediate soot damage removal after any type of residential fire.
House Fires, Soot Damage & Health Problems: 7 Important FAQs
Worries about breathing soot after a house fire are always a concern. To help you better understand the dangers, we’ve put together this list of FAQs based on our years of experience with residential fire restoration.
1. What Is Smoke Damage?
The smoke that you see during a fire is produced by burning materials that don’t completely ignite and combust. The dark, rolling clouds contain a mix of gases and particulate matter. Even as a fire is contained, the smoke it generates continues to spread through a property.
Smoke damage refers to streaking and stains left on walls and surfaces after a fire is extinguished. It also includes layers of soot that coat interiors and personal belongings as well as unpleasant, lingering odors. Smoke damage often extends well beyond areas of the original blaze.
2. How Does Soot Form?
As a fire is extinguished or burns itself out, airborne smoke particles quickly cool. They travel on residual heat drafts and come into final contact with interiors and surfaces. This process continues even after flames die down.
At this point, the contaminants become soot permeating porous materials, etching surfaces and leaving behind stains. It can appear as powdery residues or greasy deposits and range in color from black to brownish-yellow.
3. Exactly What Is Soot?
While all soot is made up of minute particles, its composition varies depending on the environment and materials where the fire occurred. Homeowners often confuse it with dirt, but it’s a complex mixture of different substances.
The soot from most house fires contains materials from partially burned wood and sheetrock. Modern homes are filled with furnishings and belongings that contain flammable plastics, foams and other synthetics. From carpets to insulation, anything that burns during a fire adds to soot contamination.
4. Why Is So It Hard to Clean Up?
It’s very easy to redistribute soot after it forms layers on non-porous surfaces. Once the material is airborne again, it quickly spreads throughout an affected property. Soot cleanup requires special equipment and techniques.
Porous materials present additional challenges. After soot removal, surfaces must be sanitized to help restore indoor air quality. Often, wallboard and wood trim have be torn out and replaced because of heavy soot damage.
5. Can Smoke Odors Be Removed?
Even after soot cleanup, lingering smells from fire damage can be a source of serious concern for homeowners. Fires involving grease or synthetic materials generate very strong, unpleasant odors that seem impossible to eliminate. Our customers often ask if clothes be salvaged.
With advanced equipment and the latest restoration techniques, we can usually take care of most smoke odor problems. Our teams use heavy-duty air movers, air-scrubbers and industry-proven cleaning products. The process takes time, but most smoke odors can be removed from your home and personal belongings.
6. Are Soot Particles Toxic?
When customers worry about the dangers of breathing soot after a house fire, we explain that it definitely poses health risks. When we work on smoke and soot cleanup projects, our certified technicians wear industry-approved personal safety gear including respirators.
Depending on materials involved in the fire, soot can contain formaldehyde, toluene, sulfur dioxide and traces of heavy metals. Burned wood by-products include manganese, benzene and hydrogen cyanide. Because it’s so corrosive and acidic, soot can be harmful at any exposure level.
7. How Does Soot Cause Health Problems?
In addition to its toxicity, soot poses a very real risk to your health because of its tiny size. An average dust particle is 40 microns. One micron equals one-millionth of a meter, and average soot particles measure only 2.5 microns. Often referred to as PM 2.5 particles, the contaminants easily penetrate lungs, skin and eyes.
Common reactions to soot range from watery eyes and a runny nose to a persistent cough. Individuals with existing health issues are at the greatest risk from toxic soot compounds. Compromised immune systems, respiratory problems and heart conditions can all be impacted by exposure to soot.
Depend on Solid Information
When you’re recovering from a home fire, you want to know as much as possible about the restoration process. We hope our FAQs make it easier to understand the importance of professional soot damage cleanup.
If you’d like to learn more about fire and smoke damage topics, just let us know here through our Comments Section. We welcome your questions and enjoy your input.
As the leading soot removal company in Chicago and the suburbs, we’re always here for you. Whether you need solid information, damage recovery or an emergency response, call us first. You can depend on ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba 24/7.