What Are the Health Risks after House Fire?

A house fire can be devastating. Fire can destroy your property along with your health. A fire can break out due to a number of reasons. If your house has suffered a fire breakout, you should call for a fire restoration service. There are fire damage restoration companies which offer emergency services. You should not hesitate for a single moment to contact them.

After the fire subsides, the soot and smoke that remains is too harmful for your health. It is also quite harmful for your property. There are lots of health risks after house fire. You might not know that the smoke caused due to fire can linger inside your house for several days. With time, you will find difficulty in removing the smoke and the soot. To avoid health risks after house fire, you will require a professional fire restoration service.

Here is a discussion regarding the health risks after house fire.

• The first problem that you will face after a fire is, breathing problem. Fire causes smoke and the smoke can trigger a number of respiratory issues. The thick fumes that result due to a fire might pass but a thin line of fume along with smell lingers in your house. This smell can create health hazards. There are different materials in your house which are porous in nature. They tend to hold the damage done by the fire. These materials are carpets, drywall, wooden surfaces, furniture and walls. The smoke that is held by these materials is inhaled by you and your family members unless you clean them.
• Respiratory issues caused by soot and smoke are, cough, asthma, shortness of breath and bronchitis. It can also cause a lot of other respiratory problems.
• The other health risks after house fire include eye irritation. The soot and the smoke can get into your eyes and turn them red. Your eyes can become itchy if you rub them continuously. The smoke damage can become severe with time. If you feel excessive irritation in your eyes then you should consult a doctor.
• The presence of smoke and soot in your house can also cause skin problems. It can irritate your skin and cause dryness. The dryness cannot be cured with the help of lotions. Your skin can also become itchy. If you have got burns due to the fire, then you should go for immediate medical help. You should treat the burn with utmost emergency to avoid physical danger.
• You should be careful with the clothes you wear. Some of the clothes might have traces of soot and smoke which can create lots of discomfort on your skin. The clothes which were near the fire or smoke should be avoided. They should not be used unless they are completely clean.
• The other health risks after house fire include some long term hazards. The remaining smoke and soot that you inhale can become a reason for stroke and even a heart attack. It is quite shocking that the smoke and soot can even cause cancer. Do you have children or infant in your house? If yes, then smoke and soot can create lifelong damages for them.

You might want to know how smoke or soot can become so much dangerous for your health. There are certain elements in your house which has chemicals in them. Once they catch fire the chemicals become dangerous for your health. These elements are combustible but they do not get burned properly. These elements include:

1. Carpets
2. Fabrics
3. Wool
4. Plastics
5. Foams
6. Wood products
7. The products which contain asbestos

There are certain chemicals which cause health risk after fire. These chemicals include hydrogen chloride, halocarbons, bromomethane, dioxin chloromethane and phosgene. Other harmful chemicals are sulphur dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen, hydrogen sulphide and carbon monoxide.