Fire and Odor Cleanup in a Chicago Apartment

1/31/2020 (Permalink)

“Like it never even happened.”

Advanced Skills Ease the Challenges of Fire and Odor Cleanup in a Chicago Apartment

When a fire broke out at a Chicago apartment, most of the residents were concerned they would lose their valuables to the flames. Fortunately, most of the materials in the affected unit were not highly combustible, so the fire did not spread quickly. However, the smoldering combustion process produces significant volumes of smoke, spreading odor around the unit and adjoining areas.

Identifying odor sources
The main challenge when dealing with the fire and odor cleanup at the Chicago apartment was identifying the odor sources. We had to check contents and construction materials, including those hidden in wall cavities, to identify likely odor sources. For items covered in layers of residue, it was easier to pinpoint them as the odor sources. However, since odor molecules are invisible, we could not rule out those without residue. Common walls within the apartment complex also meant that odor spread from the unit affected by the fire to other unaffected units. Our SERVPRO technicians opened up the walls to reach hidden materials such as insulation, which we suspected, would act as odor reservoirs.

Multi-step odor control
Odor molecules are volatile, so they spread quickly around the affected property. We had to use several steps to clean up the apartment, and get rid of the odor. Our SERVPRO technicians cleaned off residues from surfaces by wiping them off with cleaning sponges and other manual agitation methods. Physical removal of residues eliminates a considerable percentage of the odor. We then applied water-based odor counteractants through direct spraying and ULV fogging. Ventilating the area and running air filtration devices finally helped remove odor molecules suspended in the air.

Cleaning the HVAC system
During a fire, soot and other smoke residues find their way into the heating and ventilation system. Later on, when the system is turned on, the residues emit odor, which is reintroduced into the indoor air. We cleaned the ducts at the apartment to ensure this did not happen.

Odor issues can linger long after a fire incident. Call SERVPRO of West Loop / Bucktown / Greektown at (773) 434-9100 to help restore your apartment after an incident, “Like it never even happened.”

For more about Chicago click here.