Fire And Your Electronics

Electronics include anything from kitchen appliances to cell phones, to computers, iPads, iPods, and televisions, and anything else that either plug into a wall or is battery powered. Today, that is eighty-five percent of your home’s belongings. After a house fire, your valuable possessions are vulnerable to additional damage.

How Smoke Causes Damage

When electronics are covered in smoke, they become prone to extreme overheating, which can result in premature failure. When smoke reaches the inside components of electronics, a black film develops causing insulation on the heat-producing parts.  

• Corrosion- The acidic nature of soot can corrode surfaces, degrading key components and shortening lifespan.
• Acidity- Destroys metals, which causes discoloration and disintegration.
• Insulation- The black film left behind by soot can coat surfaces, insulating integral parts and resulting in extreme overheating that can lead to premature failure, or worse, fire. If these components overheat, they can also release toxic fumes into the air.
• Magnetization- Smoke has a magnetic charge that can easily short circuit electronics.

Restoration for Electronics

After a fire, damaged electronics are a safety hazard. Several factors will affect whether yours can be salvaged:  how exposed was the circuitry or wiring, where they were located, were they subject to significant heat or water. If they were exposed to any hazardous water, such as in the event of a flood or an overflow – where they plugged in or on at the time?

To prevent exposure, do not turn on any of the items before consulting with a professional. This also applies if the product was turned on during the fire and appears to be working; do not turn it off! The smoke’s corroding acids will immediately cause failure to the device. Contacting a fire remediation team immediately will improve the likelihood of your devices surviving.

Computers= A Priority

Since so much of our irreplaceable data is stored electronically, it’s important to be prepared for the worst.  In order to utilize your computer again, it needs to be cleaned from the inside out. In some situations, the exterior case may look fine, however, the hard drive is damaged from the smoke. In other cases, the computer may look terrible while the data is secure.  A trained professional can properly determine the course needed to clean the hard drive and then extract the data.

If You Have Experienced a Fire in Framingham

Internal damage from high heat and soot can pose a risk and it’s easy to make things worse when attempting to salvage electronics. Restoration pros know how to properly open, inspect, and identify compromised components. Contact a restoration company like MA Restoration to start the mitigation process; this not like an ordinary clean up job.

Get Help In Massachusetts

When you experience fire damage in your home, call M.A. Restoration for immediate assistance. They have the knowledge and extensive experience in the construction industry to help you recover from a disaster. In the Greater Worcester County and Middlesex County areas, use the M.A. Restoration emergency line at 508-762-1383 or visit marestoration.com