California Library Suffers Fire Damage and Indoor Environmental Quality Concerns

Recently, the East Bay Times published a report about a two-alarm fire that caused damage at a library in Contra Costa County in California. According to the article, the fire was successfully extinguished by firefighters, but not before the library branch suffered extensive smoke and water damage.

Building fires can create a tremendous amount of smoke that will often travel throughout multiple floors and rooms of a structure. This smoke is made up of a number of combustion by-products that include ash, soot, char and other materials. Inside of a building, smoke will leave behind odors and residues which can cause corrosion, etching and discoloration that can get worse over time.

Water damage from fire suppression efforts is a concern in any type of building, but this is especially true in a library filled with books, magazines and manuscripts made of paper. It doesn’t take long for mold to begin to grow on products made of paper when they are exposed to water or elevated humidity levels. Buildings that have suffered water damage need to be properly dried as quickly as it is safe to do so to prevent or minimize mold growth.

“Exposure to smoke residues, odors or elevated levels of mold in a building that has suffered even relatively minor fire damage is a real possibility,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager at LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “At LA Testing, we provide analytical services, all of the sampling supplies necessary, and easy-to-use test kits to help identify smoke damage, mold, odors, lead, asbestos and other contaminants associated with fire damaged buildings and subsequent remediation projects.”

LA Testing has also sponsored an educational video about smoke damage that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/jUSODjn2N5w.  

To learn more about testing a property for smoke and water damage, odors, mold, asbestos, lead or other indoor air quality (IAQ) and environmental issues, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794.  For access to test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.  

About LA Testing

LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals.  In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC Elite, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states.  LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro and San Diego.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

LA Testing

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail