Elements of Professional Fire Damage Cleanup

The debris and residues created during a household fire are not merely grimy and difficult to remove; they are corrosive and toxic. As the building materials and contents soar in temperature, burning or melting depending on their type, a plume of volatile gasses and smoke invades all spaces, traveling on superheated air currents. 

Contaminants in Smoke

The colored part of smoke (soot) is tiny bits of incompletely combusted wood, paper, rubber, and plastics (synthetics). For kitchen fires, add dehydrated food ingredients and rancid oils to the mix. Ordinary household items transform chemically during the fire into different chemical compounds, a "soot storm" of odor-bearing, toxic, and acidic contaminants. The particles float and eventually cling and bind to walls, counters, ceilings, floors, and home contents. Contaminants include substances that discolor and erode building materials and could contribute to skin and respiratory system contact health hazards. Here is a short list of the numerous dangerous and sometimes carcinogenic compounds found in household fire smoke and soot residues, enumerated in the Red Guide to Recovery sponsored by the Red Cross and fire officials:

  • Carbon monoxide

  • Carbon dioxide

  • Benzene

  • Arsenic

  • Hydrogen cyanide

  • Phosgene

  • Ammonia

  • Sulfur dioxide

  • Hydrogen sulfide

  • Formaldehyde

  • Mercury

Research-Based Methodology for Residue Cleanup

AdvantaClean of The Eastside technicians relies on their training from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) to remove toxic residues bonded to surfaces. It is critical that trained Fire and Smoke Restoration Technicians (FSRT) assess for soot type first and only select cleaning products and applications after testing for efficacy and making adaptations based on the four following elements of cleaning until the residues dissolve or emulsify, lifting, and rinsing away completely. 

  • Chemical Actions

Cleaning products leverage chemical reactions to loosen the bond between residues and surfaces: dissolving water-based soils and emulsifying oil-based soots, and sometimes branching out into other actions as needed, such as bleaching, oxidizing, changing pH, or digesting with enzymes.

  • Temperature

Increasing the temperature typically causes the chemicals in cleaning products to work faster and more efficiently, requiring great care and skill to avoid distortion or destruction of the material affected by excessive heat.

  • Dwell Time

Often, the cleaning chemicals need extended contact to loosen and dislodge the residues. Spraying or spreading the cleaning solution and waiting until the residue is released avoids stress on the underlying surface. We soak loose objects in immersion tubs to enhance cleaning.

  • Agitation

Variants of scrubbing are commonly used to clear away soot residues; used judiciously, they are effective as long as the technicians are skilled and start with the least disruptive actions. From dusting and dry sponging on the gentle end of the continuum to scraping, sanding, and blasting on the more aggressive end, residues eventually yield.

Airborne Residues

Lingering smoke containing air-suspended contaminants needs evacuation during fire damage restoration, or your home will never feel clean and sanitized. AdvantaClean of the Eastside uses negative pressure air scrubbing technology to contain and filter the contaminated air through HEPA filters before exhausting outdoors. Odors reduce as the contaminants exit, but some toxic particles settle and continue to emit unpleasant smells. Advances in deodorization neutralize the smell through chemical interactions such as 

  • Oxidation (ozone machines)

  • Pairing of deodorizing chemicals with soot particles while recreating the heat of fire conditions  (thermal fogging)

  • Use of free radicals to transform odor-bearing soot particles into harmless carbon dioxide and water (hydroxyl generators)

AdvantaClean of The Eastside offers Bothell residents a full menu of fire damage restoration services. Call us at (425) 649-0600 as soon as local officials give the go-ahead for assessment, evaluation, and implementation of professional recovery interventions.

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