What do you do when you’re a property manager of a department store in Springfield, Pennsylvania and a light fixture on the sales floor causes an electrical fire?
- First, you turn off the power to the fire at the circuit breaker board and evacuate the store
- Then, you act quickly and spray the fixture with a C-rated fire extinguisher
- Then, you call 911 for the fire department to inspect the building and make sure the fire hasn’t spread to other areas in the store
- Then, you call PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services – of course!
The damage to the carpet in this department store was minimal, and luckily there were no injuries, but the damage to the inventory was in the thousands of dollars!
During the five-year period of 2007-2011, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) estimates that U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 3,340 fires in commercial properties per year.
These fires caused an average of 4 civilian deaths, 44 civilian fire injuries, and $112 million in direct property damage each year.
As in the case of our story, the primary sources of these electrical fires in commercial buildings involved electrical distribution equipment: lamps, light fixtures, light bulbs and fixed wiring.
Burned carpet and debris caused by the faulty electrical outlet
The questions is, could these fires be prevented?
• Frequently blown fuses or tripped circuits are symptoms of electrical problems – usually from overloaded outlets or circuits.
• Getting a shock when touching appliances
• Worn or discolored wall outlets can indicate hidden arcing, smoldering or burning from damaged or improperly installed wiring in the outlet.
• Frequently flickering or dimming lights may indicate a short in the wiring, dangerous arcing, or an over-extension of electrical systems.
Owner Harry Allcroft is on the job with his team and special HEPA equipment after an electrical fire caused damage to a Department Store in Springfield, PA
• If you get a shock from touching an appliance, be sure to unplug it and don’t use it again. It’s better to replace it than be sorry!
• Avoid using an outlet or switch that’s discolored and make sure every outlet and switch has a faceplate.
• Always use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) in any area where electricity and water can touch, like bathrooms and kitchens and especially outdoors!
• Most important, if you notice any of these problems, consult a licensed electrician and get an electrical system inspection!
It’s easy to see the “before-and-after” and why you need a professional IICRC trained firm to clean after a fire extinguisher discharge
But, why call PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services after an electrical fire?
If you’ve ever used a fire extinguisher you know that the powder goes everywhere!
Not only does it create a mess, but the powder used to suffocate the fire has some potential health hazards for you, your employees, and your customers.
Remember the purpose of the powder in the fire extinguisher: it smothers the flames by preventing oxygen to feed it.
As discussed by Jon Taluba in the Emergency Management Magazine, breathing the dust from a discharged fire extinguisher can cause the same effect in your lungs: fire extinguisher powder can coat the lungs and prevent them from exchanging oxygen.
- After a fire extinguisher discharge, more than cleaning the surfaces, the air you breathe needs to be cleaned too
To prevent the risk of damaging health effects from a fire extinguisher discharge, more than just the surfaces, even the air you breathe needs to be cleaned by special HEPA air filtration equipment after a fire extinguisher discharge.
PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services has this equipment and we bring it to every fire restoration job!
Property managers in the Greater Philadelphia region know they can trust the IICRC certified experts of PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services!
