Wildfires Come Early to Southern California Causing Smoke Damage to Properties not Directly Touched by Flames

Fire season appears to have arrived early in Southern California as several large wildfires have authorities busy battling flames being spread by strong wind gusts.  Fires in Ventura and Riverside have prompted neighborhood evacuations and even the campus of California State University Channel Islands.
 
Not only do these wildfires pose a direct threat to people’s homes and businesses, but many properties not touched by flames may end up with extensive smoke damage. Wildfires can produce an enormous amount of smoke that easily infiltrates buildings. This smoke is filled with combustion by-products that include soot, ash and char. The smoke can have damaging effects to both property and to humans breathing the smoke filled air.
 
For property owners who have homes and businesses that have suffered smoke damage, many times they have to show evidence of the damage to get support from their property insurance providers. LA Testing, based in the Los Angeles area, provides smoke damage and soot testing services to help in these situations. 
 
“At LA Testing, our environmental laboratory has extensive experience in identifying smoke damage due to wildfires,” reported Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Garden Grove facility. “Laboratory testing can help identify indoor contaminates due to smoke infiltration which can be essential in getting property insurance claims approved and indoor environments remediated to conditions last seen before the wildfires,” he continued.
 
LA Testing has sponsored an educational video on indoor environmental hazards following a fire.  It can be seen at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXcXN7lF2G4
 
To learn more about testing for smoke damage, char, carbon black, soot, indoor air quality (IAQ) or other environmental issues, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794. 
 
About LA Testing and EMSL Analytical, Inc.
LA Testing and EMSL Analytical are providers of environmental testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The companies have an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

LA Testing

(1) 1-866-798-1089

jfrasca@emsl.com