Fire & Water – Cleanup & Restoration

Call the cleanup team that’s faster to any disaster:

With SERVPRO®, it’s not just an empty tag line. It is a commitment from each SERVPRO® Franchise Professional to be there when you or your customers need them most. Whether you are a small business owner who has to close your doors after a minor fire damage or a property manager dealing with a widespread disaster, the SERVPRO® System has the resources to respond quickly, efficiently and effectively.

The sooner help arrives, the sooner restoration begins. The sooner restoration begins, the sooner you or your customers can resume life and business as usual. Your local SERVPRO® Franchise is just the tip of the iceberg. Should a major disaster, such as a flood or wildfire, exhaust local resources, SERVPRO’s Storm Teams remain constantly at the ready. These elite teams have responded to everything from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to the San Diego wildfires in 2007 to the Iowa floods in 2008.

Should fire damage, water damage or mold damage strike – no matter the size – give your local SERVPRO® Franchise Professional a call. Backed by a proven, time-tested system of Franchises more than 1,400 strong, we’ll help make your property disaster “Like it never even happened.”

FROM COAST TO COAST IN 2009, wildfires across the country have already been making national news. The Jesusita fire in Southern California and the large fire in South Carolina burned nearly 30,000 acres and destroyed more than 150 homes and businesses. These areas of the country aren’t alone. In 2008, 29 states had more than 10,000 acres scorched by wildfires, as a total of 5.2 million acres burned across the country. Though thousands of wildfires are started every year by natural causes – such as lightning strikes – many more are man-made disasters. In 2008, 8,856 fires were attributed to lightning strikes, while humans caused 70,093 fires. Man-made wildfires can be more dangerous than natural fires, because they tend to occur in more populated areas.

Though we may never be able to eliminate wildfires, there are steps we can take to help lessen the danger of damage to our homes and businesses. As a National Preparedness Coalition member, your local SERVPRO Franchise Professional encourages you to follow these safety tips, courtesy of FEMA.

The Facts on and What You Can Do

*Statistics provided by the National Interagency Fire Center.

Safety Tips

• Always build fires away from nearby trees
  or shrubs.
• Create a 30-foot safety zone around the
  house or business, clearing all flammable
  and combustible objects.
• Remove debris from under decks and
  insides gutters.
• Prune branches and shrubs within 15 feet
  of chimneys and stove pipes.
• Replace highly flammable vegetation such
  as pine, eucalyptus, junipers and fir trees
  with lower growing, less flammable species.
• Check with your local garden store or fire
  department for suggestions.
• Use fire-resistant siding.

Top 10 States for Wildland Fires in 2008 Source: Insurance Information Institute (www.iii.org)
Rank State Fires Acres Burned:

1 Texas 16,713 1,570,586

2 California 5,812 1,339,839

3 Oklahoma 5,572 196,563

4 Georgia 5,454 23,081

5 North Carolina 4,414 95,938

6 Alabama 3,103 32,447

7 Florida 2,939 156,102

8 South Carolina 2,626 15,751

9 Mississippi 1,898 27,399

10 Arizona 1,850 85,496

FIREWORKS CAN BE A FESTIVE AND fun way to celebrate holidays. In the United States, no holiday is more widely celebrated with the colorful displays of pyrotechnics than the Fourth of July.

However, each year in July, thousands of people – both adults and children – are injured by fireworks while celebrating. According to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study conducted in 2006, emergency departments treated more than 9,200 fireworks-related injuries from June 16 to July 16 (2006). Sparklers accounted for one-third of the injuries to children under the age of 5 in the same time period. Children under 15 accounted for 36% of the estimated injuries.

Since a large percentage of the injuries from fireworks are related to illegally made fireworks,
the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) encourages consumers to only use legal,
approved fireworks. Of course, even then, the fireworks must be used as directed in a safe
and responsible manner.
Though a professional fireworks display is the safest way to enjoy the aerial displays, the
National Council on Fireworks Safety suggests the following tips for a fun, safe fireworks display.

• Only use fireworks outdoors.
• Be aware of and obey all local laws
  regarding the use of fireworks.
• Children under 16 should only use
  fireworks under adult supervision.
• Always have a bucket of water or a hose
  nearby. If conditions are excessively dry,
  do not use fireworks.
• Alcohol and fireworks are a bad mix.
• Parents should pay special attention to
  children using sparklers. Sparklers can
  reach temperatures up to 1,800 degrees
  Fahrenheit.
• Children should not throw or play games with sparklers.