Smoke Damage Concerns Following Building Fires in Puerto Rico

Each year, building fires destroy or damage many homes and businesses across Puerto Rico.  While these fires may burn a structure down to the ground in some circumstances, many others are saved with varying degrees of damage. 
 
These structure fires can be devastating and cause property damage even to neighboring buildings not directly touched by flames.  This is due to the fact that building fires often produce a tremendous amount of smoke that is carried some distance infiltrating other properties.  The smoke is made up of a number of combustion by-products that may include ash, soot, char and other materials. 
 
“Smoke can infiltrate throughout a building that has suffered a fire or neighboring properties leaving behind odors and residues which can cause corrosion, etching and discoloration within the property,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “This can result in indoor air and environmental quality concerns that could impact people’s health and even lower property values.  While property insurance may cover smoke damage, it is often left to the policyholder to provide proof of damages.  The presence of visible damage can be obvious, but hidden damage is almost always present. At Zimmetry, we provide testing services to prove the presence of residues, odors and other damage to help with insurance claims and to ensure a healthy indoor environment following a fire.”
 
Fire damaged buildings may also have mold issues due to the water used in fire suppression efforts. Older buildings frequently have lead and asbestos that could become an issue, especially during demolition and repair activities. Zimmetry provides comprehensive assessments for all of these hazards.
 
Zimmetry recently sponsored a video about smoke damage after a fire that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/1Ei8z-uJTn0
 
To learn more about Zimmetry Environmental and their smoke damage, building science, indoor environmental quality, compliance and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies.  The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America.  The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail