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Make Lightning Fires a Non-Threat to Your Home | SERVPRO® of Spring Valley/Jamul
10/5/2022 (Permalink)
When you have fire safety equipment in your home, you can feel secure that both your physical property and your family are safe. Most home fires can be prevented; however, some natural causes simply can’t be stopped and could threaten your home.
In 2020, there were 70,000 lightning strike damage claims filed, and lightning is predicted to strike 6,000 times every minute, every day. These numbers are a great indicator that we should all be prepared all the time.
When a current of electrical energy between the clouds and the ground forms, a giant spark is released called lightning. Lightning can be found in thunderstorms, volcanic eruptions, wildfires and heavy snows.
Dry lightning is another form of this giant spark that occurs when there is no rain. This is particularly dangerous in drier areas as it is a frequent wildfire starter.
Threats from this form of severe weather vary seasonally and peak at different times around the nation, but are something we should always be prepared for.
Lightning will likely leave behind a lot of damages when it hits your home, including putting you at risk for fire. Fires can start two ways, due to the heat of the strike itself or from a surge of electricity that the strike generates through your wiring.
When a fire starts from the strike, it may not know it right away. These kinds of fires typically start in the attic or inside a wall where a smoke detector may not be able to pick up on it.
You should hear the strike hit your house, though. When lightning strikes, it makes a very loud bang. Once you have recovered from the shock of such a loud noise, check for signs of burning.
If you smell smoke or notice black burn marks, call the fire department right away. And work with an electrician after the all-clear has been given in order to avoid another potential fire from damaged wiring.
Consider a lightning rod for your roof in order to protect your home from lightning. This solid pole will take the electricity of a strike and conduct it into the ground, saving you from enduring the full surge.
A whole-home surge protector is another great preventive choice as well. Talk with a professional about installing this to the main electrical panel of your house to reduce the risk of damaging your wires.
Approximately 9,000 wildfires are thought to originate from a lightning strike every year. With our high risks that already exist during fire season, lightning can be particularly dangerous in our area. Lightning generates an overwhelming amount of heat, which means a fire will move quickly and threaten everything near it.
Keep your yard clean regularly and clear out dead vegetation. Make sure your defensible landscaping zones are up to date with current guidelines so that a fire is diverted away from your property.
Add smoke detectors to all the levels of your house and outside every sleeping area so that you can move to safety from wherever you are.
If you do have fire damage on your property, call SERVPRO just as soon as the flames are out. Fire restoration is a complicated process, and we have the 24⁄7 availability and training to start and finish quickly. We want to put you on the path to recovery as fast as possible.
Have you experienced smoke or fire damage in your home? Call us today to get the restoration finished fast.