The Speed of a House Fire | SERVPRO® of West Hamilton/Oxford

5/19/2023 (Permalink)

Fires spread fast. When disaster strikes, call SERVPRO of West Hamilton/Ohio to help so you can focus on what matters most.

Experiencing a house fire is one of the more overwhelming and frankly terrifying things a homeowner can go through. Any time a fire breaks out in a place that it shouldn’t, it can spread quickly and cause widespread damage in a short amount of time. Some fires can’t even be contained, leading to a total loss of home or property.

If a fire starts in your home, getting out safely should always be your top priority. Understanding the progression of a house fire and how to get out quickly is crucial to ensure everyone in your family remains safe.

Fire Spreads Fast

All it takes is a single spark from an unattended candle or a kitchen towel too close to a stove burner for a fire to start. Once something flammable is ignited, it only takes about 30 seconds for the small flame to become a large fire.

From there, it is only a matter of minutes before that fire has created enough black smoke to fill a room or the entire house.

Once that smoke is in the air, it can become virtually impossible to see. That black smoke is thick and can throw an entire room into darkness. In under two minutes, the fire and smoke can become life-threatening and in under five minutes, your entire home could be engulfed in flames.

How You Should React

If a fire starts while you are home, your first priority should be to get out of the house as quickly as you can and call 911.

The fire will quickly start to produce black smoke, so stay low to the ground as you find your exit. The toxic smoke and gasses that fire produces can make you disoriented and drowsy, so crouch or crawl towards your exit if you have to.

Once you are outside, head to your pre-discussed meeting location and ensure that all of your family members have made it out safely. By this time, the fire department should be arriving soon and will take over to extinguish the flames and control the situation.

What to Do After

Standing in the aftermath of a house fire can be a really isolating and overwhelming experience. If the fire was widespread, you could be dealing with a full reconstruction as well as coming to terms with the loss of your possessions and keepsakes.

Our SERVPRO of West Hamilton/Oxford team understands the sensitive and stressful nature of experiencing a house fire, and we will help guide you through the restoration process one step at a time.

We will work together to create a restoration plan, and we will do our best to save as many of your possessions as possible. We are here 24/7 to respond to your call for fire damage restoration.

We can help you recover from any sort of fire disaster. Contact us at SERVPRO of West Hamilton/Oxford.