Electrical fire risk for NYC residential buildings

7/28/2020 (Permalink)

Warning sign of a potential electrical fire

Residential building electrical fires are a real threat in uncertain times. Many residents of NYC have left their apartments and vacated the city due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some residents are planning to return after the summer months in the fall and others are looking to stay away from high-rise living completely.  Those who have left their apartments in residential buildings have the added stress of worrying their belongings will stay safe without their supervision. 

Nothing can be quite as devastating to your home as fire damage of any kind. The key is prevention and attention to detail when at home or before leaving your home for an extended period of time. In many cases the start of an electrical fire can be prevented with simple checklist and attention to some key warning signs:

Prevention 

• make sure to unplug appliances and turn off all lights 
• check all outlets for burn marks or any form of discoloration around the socket or light fixtures 
• make sure you don’t smell any burning 

Warning Signs 

• If the appliance is plugged in and feels hot it might be a sign, don’t ignore it 
• If you feel any kind of shock when you are plugging something in 
• If a light fixture is flickering 

Severe weather can be just as much of an electrical fire starter as man made electrical hazard fires that are caused by poorly managed extension cords, hair tools, light fixtures, light bulbs with the wattage too high, faulty outlets or old and outdated appliances. Although nearly half of all electrical fires occur between the winter month span of December through March, there is still high risk in the summer months when the temperature is extremely high.

Currently, NYC is experiencing another heat wave with temperatures soaring as high as 97 degrees with a high humidity to boot. High temperatures can easily cause electrical problems as there is a lot more strain on the power grid. Power outages are likely to occur, most commonly known as brown outs. Since every resident in a building is looking to stay cool there is an excessive use of air-conditioners which require a lot of power and causes a strain on the transmission lines.  Overheating can likely occur and cause damage to the circuit components and can cause a fire.  The best defense is an offense. Check your local weather report and stay ahead of the heat wave. If you know one is on the way don’t use certain appliances that day such as dishwashers, ovens, dryers to avoid heating up your apartment. 

However careful you are and as many checklists as you may perform a fire may still break out. We at SERVPRO specialize in fire damage. We are also experts in removing smoke oder and deep-clean soot from carpet and upholstery, we use industrial air scrubbers and fogging equipment among other vital cleaning techniques to illuminate any trace of damage. We pride ourselves in clean up and sanitation upon completion of any job that we do.  We understand the kind of trauma it can cause to have fire or water damage to you household, we want to ensure that we restore as much of your property as possible but also leave you feeling at ease knowing that job was done to your satisfaction and your home was brought back as close to normal as it can be. 

Since Covid-19 is still a very prominent threat in our community that we care for so much for, we are now offering Certified: SERVPRO Cleaning. It is a proactive viral pathogen cleaning with approved Hospital-Grade cleaning solutions and decontamination standards set by the CDC.  We are dedicated to making the transition back to normal or the “new normal” as smooth as possible by mitigating as much risk as possible. We are fast and efficient and whether its an electrical fire in your building or certified: SERVPRO cleaning to make you feel safe to return, we are available 24 hours a day 7 day a week. 

We are committed to serving our community and its residents to the best of our ability. When it comes to fire damage and floods we have 5 decades of experience that shows how effectively and efficiently our operation runs. We are the leading experts in unprecedented disasters. The current pandemic falls under that category and we are at the forefront of ensuring that we are proactive in making NYC residence feel safe to return home.