Recent Fire Damage Posts

Rising from the Ashes: How to Rebuild After Fire Damage

3/29/2024 (Permalink)

The aftermath of a fire can be devastating, leaving behind charred belongings, smoke-damaged walls, and a sense of overwhelming loss. However, amidst the ashes, there is hope. With the right support and guidance, it's possible to rebuild and restore your home or business to its former glory. In this blog post, we'll explore the steps you can take to navigate the challenging process of recovering from fire damage and emerging stronger on the other side.

Assessing the Damage

The first step in the fire damage restoration process is to assess the extent of the damage. This involves inspecting the property for structural issues, smoke residue, and water damage from firefighting efforts. It's crucial to enlist the help of a professional restoration company like SERVPRO®, who can conduct a thorough assessment and develop a comprehensive restoration plan tailored to your specific needs.

Safety First

Before re-entering the property, ensure that it's safe to do so. Be mindful of structural instability, electrical hazards, and toxic fumes lingering in the air. If in doubt, wait for the fire department or restoration professionals to give the all-clear. Safety should always be the top priority during the restoration process.

Water Damage Mitigation

In many cases, water damage is a significant concern after a fire due to firefighting efforts. Standing water can lead to mold growth and further structural damage if not addressed promptly. A restoration company like SERVPRO® can deploy specialized equipment to extract water, dry out the affected areas, and prevent secondary damage from occurring.

Smoke and Soot Removal

Smoke and soot can permeate every surface of your property, leaving behind stubborn stains and unpleasant odors. Professional restoration technicians have the knowledge, tools, and cleaning agents necessary to effectively remove smoke residue and restore your property to its pre-fire condition. This may involve deep cleaning carpets, upholstery, and drapery, as well as using ozone generators to neutralize odors.

Content Restoration

While some belongings may be beyond repair, many items can be salvaged with the right techniques. A reputable restoration company can assess the condition of your belongings and provide cleaning, deodorization, and restoration services as needed. From furniture and clothing to electronics and documents, they'll work tirelessly to save as much as possible.

Rebuilding and Restoration

Once the property has been cleaned and sanitized, the rebuilding process can begin. This may involve repairing structural damage, replacing damaged materials, and restoring the property to its pre-fire condition. Throughout this phase, it's essential to work closely with your restoration team to ensure that your vision for the property is realized.

Recovering from fire damage is a challenging journey, but with the right support and resources, it's possible to rebuild and reclaim what was lost. By enlisting the help of a professional restoration company like SERVPRO, you can rest assured that your property is in capable hands. From assessing the damage to rebuilding and restoration, they'll be with you every step of the way, guiding you towards a brighter future.

Fire Safety Tips

1/4/2024 (Permalink)

In the case of a fire in your residential or commercial property, it is always essential to be as prepared as possible. The following tips are good ideas for whomever you live with or work with to establish in the case of an emergency. 

  1. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas (residential)
  2. Install smoke alarms on every level of the building (commercial)
  3. Test smoke alarms every month
  4. Develop and memorize escape plan route 
  5. Choose meeting place outside home (or building in the case of commercial spaces)
  6. Know two ways out in case the first one becomes blocked by smoke or fire and causes you to not be able to use that route
  7. Get out and stay out! We can take care of and restore your home, but it’s important to watch out for yourself and your loved ones right away

Your safety is always important and getting outside of the building as quickly as possible is essential. SERVPRO of Carbon County & Pocono Pines is available 24/7, even if an emergency occurs in the middle of the night. We can provide board-up services right away and make sure your home is safe and secure after the fire department puts out the fire.

Our contents cleaning team can assure you that we can restore your items and valuables to the best of our ability, removing soot or smoke damages that may occur during the fire. 

Smoke Detector Safety: Fire Prevention

9/1/2023 (Permalink)

Fire Safety Plans are essential for your residential or commercial property to prevent a fire as much as possible. A smoke detector is a key component to keep your home safe and alert you as quickly as possible if a fire begins. This early warning sign of smoke detection is important to get everyone out of your home safely and give you time to call for help to save your home from severe damages. 

SERVPRO® of Carbon County & Pocono Pines is here to help 24/7 with board ups and fire damage mitigation at any time of the day, even if a fire occurs in the middle of the night when you least expect it. We can provide the initial board-up service, mitigation, structural cleaning/damaged material removal, contents cleaning, and reconstruction. From start to finish, we are here to help make your home “like it never even happened”, and a smoke detector is a great thing to have in your home to suffer the least damage possible.


Give us a call at 570-732-9191 to speak with a member of our team! Our mitigation crew works as quickly as possible to restore your home and our contents cleaning team can restore your contents like furniture, clothing, and other items like brand new again.

Fire

7/28/2023 (Permalink)

After disaster strikes with fire damage at your residential or commercial property, the loss can be extremely upsetting and stressful. SERVPRO of Carbon County & Pocono Pines is here to help not only restore your home and get everything cleaned up, but also restore your important documents and contents that may have been affected by the fire or heavy soot damage. Our contents cleaning professionals use tools to help restore your personal photos, documents, and other precious paper items, to return them to as close to their pre-damaged condition as possible. Our team has been successful at restoring these items as well as children’s toys, wedding dresses, clothing, shoes, and antique dishes. We can even take on larger contents like dressers and couches and make it “like it never even happened!” If you find your items damaged after a fire, rest assured that we can take care of everything and restore your precious items back to looking brand new again! Give us a call at 570-732-9191 any time of the day, we are always here to help and available 24/7!

Fire Damage

7/27/2023 (Permalink)

Having a fire in your residential home is a very stressful situation that is never easy, but what happens if a fire occurs at your commercial owned property or business? SERVPRO of Carbon County & Pocono Pines is willing to take on any restoration project no matter how big or small, and we can reassure you that we will have your commercial business up and running in no time.


Our team of professionals works as efficiently and quickly as possible to restore your commercial property because we are sensitive to understanding the time and money lost due to having an unexpected fire damaging your business. We are faster to any sized disaster and will ensure you that we will be able to make things “Like it never even happened!” 

Having an emergency ready plan is an essential part of preparing for a fire. Even though no one wants to ever need to use that plan, it can make the process of restoring your business a lot quicker and easier on you. 

As soon as you call SERVPRO® , we will work everything out with both you and your insurance. Before our team is able to arrive, make sure to limit movement on the property. Spreading soot and other particles can make it more difficult in the long run, so it’s best to keep everything to one area if possible. Shut off all running electronics and equipment to prevent further damage. Make sure that access is available to all entrances and exits to the building and nothing is blocking any doorways. Secure and critical documents and prioritize critical areas. 

We are always here to help and are available 24/7 at 570-732-9191!

What to do After a House Fire

3/31/2023 (Permalink)

Safety is always the number one priority after a house fire. Before anything, get all of your family members and pets out of the house as quickly as possible. Fires are never a good situation and can be very stressful. Our goal at SERVPRO is to make your experience after a fire as seamless as possible by restoring any damages, cleaning important documents or items for you, and providing reconstruction services if needed.

  1. Do not enter your home after fire damages

Always wait until the fire department gives you an “all clear” to re-enter your home after a fire. You may expose yourself to mold, fumes and particles from soot, water damage, structural issues, gas leaks, or electrical hazards in water. 

  1. Call your insurance agent

If the damage is extreme to the point where your home is not liveable, most homeowners’ insurance policies cover the cost of a hotel, short-term rental, or food if your home is damaged due to a fire. You’ll also need to begin the claims process to cover home repairs and the replacement of damaged belongings.

  1. Reach out to local organizations for extra support

If you do not have homeowners insurance, there are a lot of options for help after a fire. Organizations such as Salvation Army, American Red Cross, health departments, religious organizations, and state emergency offices can assist you with resources



  1. Inspection and Damage Assessment

SERVPRO will send an inspector from their team to evaluate the damages of your home and determine what needs to be repaired. We will also manage your homeowners’ insurance claims process for a less stressful experience for you and get everything done as quickly as possible 

Fire Prevention

1/5/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO offers fire restoration services for any damage left to your home following a fire. We can take care of any smoke, soot, or damages. The following tips are ways you can prevent a fire in your home and stay safe.

  1. Installing smoke alarms on every level of your home and testing them consistently
  2. Discuss an escape plan with family members living inside your home
  3. Give heaters space and keep them away from anything that can burn. Never leave children or pets unattended near a heater
  4. Use electricity safety and replace cords that may be cracked or broken. Do not overload extension cords or run them under rugs
  5. Install home sprinkler systems to be able to put out fire before it begins to spread
  6. Keep matches and lighters in a safe place away from children
  7. Cook carefully and do not leave stoves unattended. Always make sure stoves and other appliances are turned off being leaving your home or going to bed

Fire Tips

12/29/2022 (Permalink)

Fires can be devastating to you and your family. Here are some tips for fire safety:

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home.

Make sure to change the batteries of the smoke detectors.


Always practice your escape plan with your family, including your pets. If a fire occurs, escape your house as soon as possible and never go back inside for anything or anyone.


Don’t leave burning candles unattended.
Secure your wires out of sight of your pet, as you do not want them to mistake them for a chew toy.


We are the fire damage experts and can help you at the first sign we have 24/7 emergency service and can help you no matter the time. Call SERVPRO of Carbon County & Pocono Pines at 570-732-9191.

Smoke and Soot Cleanup Post Fire

9/1/2022 (Permalink)

Fires can be traumatic for anyone, leaving homeowners, renters and landlords stressed when they occur. After the fire trucks leave your home will most likely have smoke and soot damage that will have to be fixed. Smoke and soot is extremely invasive and can cause extensive damage as it can penetrate small cavities within your home, causing hidden damage and odor. That’s where we come in, at SERVPRO of Carbon County & Pocono Pines we offer 24/7 services because we understand emergencies can happen anytime. We’ll come in, assess the damage and do what needs to be done to make it “Look like it never even happened”. 

Here are some tips on fire safety:

  1. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home.
  2. Make sure to change your smoke alarms batteries annually. 
  3. NEVER leave candles burning unattended.
  4. ALWAYS have an escape plan, make sure to practice with everyone in your household in case of an emergency. 

We are here to help in your community and can help you at the first sign of damage. Call SERVPRO of Carbon County & Pocono Pines at 570-732-9191, we’re available 24/7 with emergency services. 

Fire

7/28/2022 (Permalink)

Fires can be devastating to you and your family. Here are some tips for fire safety:

  • Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. 
  • Make sure to change the batteries of the smoke detectors. 
  • Always practice your escape plan with your family, including your pets. 
  • If a fire occurs, escape your house as soon as possible and never go back inside for anything or anyone. 
  • Don’t leave burning candles unattended. 
  • Secure your wires out of sight of your pet, as you do not want them to mistake them for a chew toy. 

We are the fire damage experts and can help you at the first sign we have 24/7 emergency service and can help you no matter the time. Call SERVPRO of Carbon County and Pocono Pines at 570-732-9191. 

Fire

7/27/2022 (Permalink)

A fire can cause soot and smoke damage to the structure and personal belongings. Fires can be traumatic leaving homeowners, renters or landlords stressed. 

What is soot? Soot is a black powder 

SERVPRO of Western Lehigh County has specialized equipment and highly trained technicians to remove soot or smoke damage from ceilings, walls and other structures. 

SERVPRO of Western Lehigh County has an ultrasonic cleaning machine to clean your personal belongings, such as electronics, knickknacks, window blind cleaning, chandeliers, dishes, antiques, etc.   

Step 1: Electric lift lowers the baskets into the water. 

Step 2: Once the baskets are in the water, they are cleaned by ultrasonic energy to scrub particles off of the items. 

Step 3: The baskets are raised out of the water by the electric lifts.

Step 4: The baskets are moved to another machine that lifts them down into water to be rinsed. 

Step 5: Items are lifted out of the water and will be moved to a table for the final step. 

Step 6: Drying the items.

Call SERVPRO of Carbon County today at 570-732-9191!

Fires

4/1/2022 (Permalink)

Have you seen any fires in your neighborhood? Fires can be traumatic, leaving homeowners, renters or landlords stressed when a fire occurs. A fire can cause soot or fire damage to the structure and personal property. 

SERVPRO of Carbon County and Pocono Pines has a 24 hour emergency service. We understand emergencies can happen at an inconvenient time. 

After a fire, we can perform structural cleaning, contents cleaning and deodorization. We remove soot from ceilings, walls, woodwork, carpeting and floors. If your contents need to be cleaned, SERVPRO of Carbon County offers an Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine. 

This is a specialized machine and we are one of the few with this machine. Our staff is trained to use this machine. This machine can clean electronics, knickknacks, collectables, stuffed animals, toys, chandeliers, etc. 

We have the highly trained technicians and equipment to help you in case of a fire. Contact us at 570-732-9191 as soon as a fire occurs! We are here to help!

Soot in a RV

1/4/2022 (Permalink)

Fire damage can occur not only in your home or business. Fire damage can also occur on your RV. 

A few months ago, we had a customer with fire damage on their RV. This customer drove their RV to our warehouse to remove the smoke damage. The source of the fire was a fan in the bedroom. We used sponges and specialized cleaning supplies to remove soot from the surfaces. We are experts when it comes to fire damage. Soot is a black powdery substance that can be difficult to remove. 

SERVPRO of Carbon County & Pocono Pines is here to help, especially after a fire. SERVPRO is faster to any size disaster. Our team is highly trained and knows how to respond to fire or smoke damage.

Soot Damage

12/29/2021 (Permalink)

wall with soot damage This is a basement wall with soot damage after a fire.

Fire can leave damages to your home or business. It is common to have soot damage to your property. Soot can be difficult to remove. SERVPRO of Carbon County and Pocono Pines can help you get rid of stubborn soot. We have different methods to remove it. 

One method is to wipe all surfaces down. This method is common and we use rags and sponges to wipe down affected areas. 

Another method is Dry Ice Blasting. Dry Ice is the solid form of Carbon Dioxide. This is a  non-destructive method. 

We recently had a basement with soot damage due to a dehumidifier that caught on fire while the owner was out. This caused soot on the walls and our team responded quickly to the damage. We used Dry-Ice Blasting to remove it.  

Fire Tips

9/2/2021 (Permalink)

After a fire, it can be devastating to you and your family. Fire damage includes fire, smoke and water damage. Safety is always the priority.

Tips on what to do:
Avoid moving around the home to prevent soot particles from spreading to upholstery and carpets.
Always keep your hands clean to avoid more damage to upholstery, walls and woodwork.
Replace your HVAC filter.

Tips on what not to do:
Don't attempt to wash any walls or painted surfaces or shampoo carpet or upholstery without contacting your SERVPRO Professional.
Don't attempt to clean any electrical appliances that may have been close to fire, heat, or water without consulting an authorized repair service.
Never use any food items or beverages that would have been exposed to the fire, heat or water.

Call SERVPRO of Carbon County and Pocono Pines today - 570-732-9191!

Fire Tips

7/29/2021 (Permalink)

Fires can leave you feeling devastated and not knowing what to do when a fire starts. 

Here are some tips for what to do during a fire:

  • Avoid excessive movement to prevent soot particles from sticking to upholstery. 
  • During a fire, before opening a door use the back of your hand to feel the door handle. If the door handle is hot, do not open the door. 
  • Call 911 immediately.
  • Evacuate yourself immediately.
  • Never enter back into your home once you evacuate. 
  • In the event of heavy smoke, crawl low under any smoke as you evacuate. 
  • If your clothes catch fire, always stop, drop and roll. 

After the smoke clears, SERVPRO of Carbon County and Pocono Pines has the ability to make your home or business look “Like it never even happened.”

Fire Tips from SERVPRO of Carbon County and Pocono Pines

7/27/2021 (Permalink)

Fires can happen fast and you need to respond quickly. Here are some tips for fires:

  • Make sure you install smoke detectors on every level of your house. The placement of the smoke detectors should be at the top of open stairways, at the bottom of stairways, outside of bedrooms. 
  • Always test smoke detectors and replace batteries.
  • Smoke detectors should be replaced once every 10 years. 
  • Ahead of time, practice your escape routes with your family, including your pets. 
  • Invest in an escape ladder if your house has more than one level. 
  • Have your home insured. If you are renting an apartment consider buying renters insurance. 
  • Have A-B-C fire extinguishers in your home.

When fire damage occurs, SERVPRO of Carbon County and Pocono Pines can help!

Fire...who are you going to call? SERVPRO of Carbon County & Pocono Pines!

4/1/2021 (Permalink)

Have you seen any fires in your neighborhood? Fires can be traumatic, leaving homeowners, renters or landlords stressed when a fire occurs. A fire can cause soot or fire damage to the structure and personal property. 

SERVPRO of Carbon County and Pocono Pines has a 24 hour emergency service. We understand emergencies can happen at an inconvenient time. 

After a fire, we can perform structural cleaning, contents cleaning and deodorization. We remove soot from ceilings, walls, woodwork, carpeting and floors. If your contents need to be cleaned, SERVPRO of Carbon County offers an Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine. 

This is a specialized machine and we are one of the few with this machine. Our staff is trained to use this machine. This machine can clean electronics, knickknacks, collectables, stuffed animals, toys, chandeliers, etc. 

We have the highly trained technicians and equipment to help you in case of a fire. Contact us at 570-732-9191 as soon as a fire occurs!