While Cincinnati is not particularly fire-prone, it’s still important for anyone who owns property in the area to understand how to recover from fires. Though the environment and urban location make it unlikely to be affected by a wildfire, there are still electrical fires, arson, and lightning-related fires that frequently occur in the city.

According to The Hartford insurance company, Cincinnati ranks among the top 50 cities with the highest home fire risk. This ranking was devised based on a variety of factors and polls related to the behaviors of residents. Because of this higher-than-average risk, it’s important to understand how to recover from a fire.

It’s interesting to note that Cincinnati has a proud history of fighting fires. The Cincinnati fire department was the first fully paid professional fire department and was initially helmed by a co-inventor of the steam fire engine, Miles Greenwood, back in 1853.

It is important to follow best practices when restoring fire and smoke damage in Cincinnati. The first step is to hire a local professional to assess the structural integrity. This will ensure safety in Cincinnati. Restoration specialists will identify the most urgent repair elements. The restoration process involves the removal of damaged material, smoke removal and air cleaning, structural repairs and rebuilding, proper ventilation additions, environmental cleanup, mold prevention, and deodorization. Professionals should perform some or all of the tasks during restoration depending on the extent of damage sustained by a property during a fire.

The removal of smoke odors can be one of the most difficult steps in the restoration process in Cincinnati. Smoke odors can linger in the air and affect it negatively, making it uncomfortable and even dangerous. To eliminate lingering smoke smells, you need to use advanced deodorizing methods such as thermal fogging, hydroxyl machines, and proper ventilation.

Damage caused by firefighting is another problem in smoke and fire damage restoration. Firefighting efforts can leave behind fire retardant powders and foams as well as water damage. Water damage, if not treated quickly, can lead to mold and structural damage.

Finally, secondary damages such as water damage caused by rain and snow can pose a serious threat to properties that have been left exposed to the elements because of a fire.

Cincinnati is not particularly prone to wildfires, but it is relatively rainy and frequently affected by severe thunderstorms. During the winter, when thunderstorms are not as frequent, it is occasionally snowy. These climate factors can have major impacts on fire damage restoration efforts.

If a building is left exposed to the elements because of fire damage, it’s imperative that restoration professionals cover these areas of the building with resilient materials. The high winds and pouring rain from severe thunderstorms, blizzards, and derechos can destroy shoddy construction and soak the interior of a fire-damaged building. If this happens it can delay restoration efforts and introduce mold, water damage, and other issues.

Like anywhere, it’s necessary for Cincinnati restoration experts to be properly licensed and certified.

Certifications such as those provided by the Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) ensure that the professionals you hire are properly trained on modern restoration best practices.

New technologies have improved the efficacy of fire and smoke damage restoration efforts. Thanks to new technologies, once-impossible tasks like smoke odor removal are now possible.

Some technological innovations that have aided restoration professionals include:

• Air scrubbers
• Ozone generators
• Thermal imaging equipment