How Water Damage happens after a fire

3/4/2023 (Permalink)

Water damage is one of the biggest concerns for people after a fire. Most people know that this type of damage happens when water from fire hoses infiltrates their home. However, not everyone realizes that water can cause a variety of problems. In this article, we'll go over some common types of water damage after fires—and how to handle them.

Sources

Water damage can come from a variety of sources. Water damage is not limited to flooding and high-powered hoses. After a fire, water can cause damage in many ways.

Fire sprinkler damage is one way that water causes damage after a fire. When firefighters use their hose lines to put out a fire, they often spray the walls, floors and other surfaces with water as part of their strategy for extinguishing the blaze. The pressure from these powerful streams can cause pipes under your home's foundation or in its walls to burst.

Fire sprinkler damage

Sprinkler systems can also cause extensive water damage that doesn't involve an actual sprinkler going off. When a fire breaks out and alarms go off, the sprinklers are activated automatically by an electronic device. This activates a series of pipes connected to each other and connected to your ceiling or walls. The water is then released into these pipes, where it flows down towards the floor in order to put out any fires on its way down.

The problem with this system is that it often causes damage from leaks in those pipes before they reach their destination and even if there isn't any leakage at all. In fact, even if all your sprinklers stay intact during an emergency situation, there's still a chance that you could end up with serious water damage anyway.

Hose line damage

Firefighters can inadvertently damage hose lines while they are fighting a fire. If they leave the nozzle in one position for too long, it can cause kinks in the line that will prevent water from flowing through it properly. The same thing can happen if firefighters accidentally drag the hose with them when moving around inside a building or vehicle the force of this movement. If you're using an automatic sprinkler system as part of your fire suppression plan, remember that these devices often use large amounts of water within seconds. This rapid influx could potentially overload any nearby hoses which could lead to leaks developing within those systems

Firefighter contamination

Contamination can occur in many ways. When firefighters are fighting a fire or cleaning up afterward, they can get contaminated by walking through the area. If there is still smoke in the air after a fire, it's possible for firefighters to breathe in some of this smoke and become sick from doing so.

Damage from the fire suppression agent

The main water damage culprit after a fire is the fire suppression agent itself. The water used to fight the blaze can seep into your home's structure and cause damage to electronics, appliances and other property. The extent of this damage depends on how much water was used in fighting the fire. If you were able to put out the flames quickly enough before too much water was introduced into your home's structure, then chances are good that there won't be too much damage done. However, if firefighters had to douse your house with copious amounts of water because it took longer than expected for them to get things under control or if they sprayed every room indiscriminately without regard for where their hoses were aimed.

Water damage is not limited to flooding and high-powered hoses. Fire sprinkler damage, hose line damage and firefighter contamination can all cause problems with your home's structure and contents. If you are dealing with any of these issues after a fire, contact us at SERVPRO of Clayton/Ladue for your water restoration clean up.