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Stopping a Kitchen Fire in Seconds | SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette

3/15/2024 (Permalink)

Shocked woman and fire on frying pan on home kitchen concept. Don't let fire damage ruin your home, call SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton, & Fayette for a fast response!

Whether you consider yourself a gourmet chef or the most time you spend in the kitchen is to make your favorite mac and cheese cup, we all need to feed ourselves! Since we spend so much time making meals, it should be no surprise to learn that the majority of house fires start in the kitchen. 

Kitchen fires can quickly get out of hand due to the heat and fuel that is present in a kitchen space. Oftentimes you only have a few seconds to get the situation under control before it becomes too dangerous to stay in your home. 

Knowing what to do when a fire breaks out in your kitchen can help you stay calm and act quickly in the face of a true emergency, so check out our tips below. 

Tips for the Kitchen 

Staying close to your cooking food is the single most important part of reducing your risk of a serious fire. It only takes a split second for a malfunctioning toaster to catch on fire or for a grease bubble to pop and catch fire. If you are near the kitchen when a situation like this begins, you can quickly throw a lid over the pan to smother the flames.

You should also be cognizant of the amount of flammable materials that you have in your kitchen. Kitchen towels, wooden utensils and pot holders that are left too close to your heat source can easily catch on fire and that fire can quickly turn into a full blaze as it licks up your cabinets and curtains. Keep the flammable materials to a minimum and be sure your fire extinguisher is easily accessible to everyone in your home. 

What to Do First 

If the fire starts on your stove, toss a lid on top of your pan or pot right away to remove the source of oxygen and turn off the burner. If the fire starts in your oven, do not open the oven door. Turn off the heat and keep the door shut until the fire consumes the available oxygen and burns out. 

Just remember, water and grease are never a good combination and water should never be used as a method of fire extinguishing in the kitchen. Grease fires always need to be smothered or put out with a fire extinguisher. If the fire is out of control by the time you discover it or if you ever feel unsafe staying to fight the fire, back away and call 911 right away.

Recovering After the Fire 

Whether you put out the fire yourself or the fire department did it for you, chances are that you will have significant fire and water or chemical damage to deal with. That’s where we come in! Our fire damage restoration team will handle your entire recovery to make it as simple and as stress-free as possible.  

We will focus on removing damaged debris, cleaning and sanitizing your space, and tackling stubborn smoke odors. Once your entire space is ready, we will get started on your repairs. We can rebuild single rooms or even entire levels or sections of your home if needed. We always have your back when it comes to fire damage, so call us 24/7 for immediate assistance. 


Kitchen fires can become serious in seconds. Call SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton and Fayette for a quick fire damage restoration.

Addressing Leaks When It Rains | SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette

12/15/2023 (Permalink)

a gutter on a building, an old drainpipe close-up, water flows through rotten metal Don't let water damage ruin your home. Call SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton, & Fayette to restore your space!

Rain can pop up at any time in our community, and sometimes we can be grateful for it if we are in the middle of a drought or if our lawns are brown and dry. Other times, it can be really frustrating if we weren’t expecting the rain or if it accompanies a strong storm that causes damage to our homes. 

While we can’t always predict the weather and know what’s coming, we can be prepared for the different water damage possibilities if rain starts to leak in our homes. Check out our tips for avoiding rainwater leaks in your home during the next storm.

Address Home Maintenance
Storms can come in all different shapes and sizes throughout the year, so stay connected to our local forecast and start preparing as soon as one is predicted. Head outside and make sure to clear out your gutter system first and foremost. 

If your gutters are clogged, any rain that we do get will not be able to flow down and away from your home and will back up onto your roof. Over time, that pooling water can get under your shingles or into your attic through hairline gaps or cracks and will leak down your walls.

If your home is equipped with a sump pump, inspect it from time to time and consider having it professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year. It needs to be working reliably at any point if we are surprised by a storm. If you experience a sump pump failure during a rainstorm, it can make your water damage situation that much worse.  

Tend to Your Roof

Our roofs keep a literal roof over our heads when storms come to town, so they often experience the most frequent wear and tear throughout the year. A single strong storm can lead to serious damage, so checking it often can help alert you to a developing situation.

A single gap or broken shingle can invite water into your attic, which can then leak down your attic floor or walls and get into your living spaces. Find a ladder and get up onto your roof often and especially after a strong storm to evaluate your situation. You should also do this around your windows and doors to catch a leak at the source. 

Dry Out Your Home

Even if you prepare your home as best you can, water has a mind of its own and can cause serious damage without much warning. The best way to avoid long-term structural issues and mold infestations is to give us a call right away.

Our team will prioritize coming out to your home right away to start removing the excess water. We will extract the visible standing water but we will also make sure to remove the hidden moisture behind your walls and under your floors. 


Once your space is dry, we can get started on your repairs. Water is known to warp wood, ruin carpets and cause serious wall damage, so we will work hard on any repairs that you need to help you completely recover.

Call us as soon as you discover water damage. Contact SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton and Fayette today.

The Risk of Water Leaks From Appliances | SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette

11/30/2023 (Permalink)

Beautiful woman with pots and buckets dealing with water damage in living room Find a leak in your home? Call SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton, and Fayette to get rid of lingering water damage!

We all rely on our appliances every day to help us accomplish tasks and—frankly—to get everyone fed, clothed and out of the house on time. We are so grateful for the advancements in technology to have things like dishwashers and washing machines in our homes to help us along the way!

While these appliances are an essential part of our daily lives, they can also create serious headaches from time to time if they leak. Water leaks are always frustrating and should be handled right away to prevent serious damage, but you have to know where to look for them.

The Effects of Leaking Water

Water leaks can happen at any point. They can occur if your dishwasher malfunctions, a water line gets clogged or your washing machine drain line becomes disconnected. While we can’t always predict when they will occur, you can check your appliances often for signs of any emerging issues. 

Run your hands along the underside of each appliance before you turn it on to check for drips or signs of moisture, and check underneath them regularly for any water spots or mold growth. Pull your appliances away from the wall often as well, as water leaks typically start in the back or underneath appliances. 

Once water has started leaking from your appliance, it can seep into every crack and crevice in your floors and can become virtually impossible to dry up on your own. 

What to Do First 

If you do discover moisture during a routine check or come home to a shockingly large puddle of water, try to stay calm and locate the connecting water valve. Depending on the appliance, this is usually in the back of the machine or is coming out of the cupboard underneath your sink. 

Once the water is turned off, consider either unplugging the appliance or shutting off electricity to the specific room for the time being. This helps keep you safe from the dangers of water and electricity mixing, but it can also prevent the machine from starting back up again unexpectedly and pouring the rest of the water in the pipes all over the place. 

Taking Care of Your Appliances

We can help you recover from water damage faster! Simply call us as soon as you discover the situation, and we will get started on removing excess water and addressing structural repairs. We will put your home back together in no time at all.

Once we have helped you recover, you should create a maintenance routine for each appliance that you follow carefully. Check your appliances often for signs of wear and tear and inspect water lines and seals. Repair any old caulk lines or replace connections as necessary. You should also try to replace aging appliances as you see fit, as older machines are often more unreliable and prone to creating disasters.

Has an appliance caused water damage at home? Contact SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette right away.

How to Get Out: Steps for a Fire Escape Plan | SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette

11/30/2023 (Permalink)

fire damage aftermath SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette are Here to Help® every step of the way.

The thought of suffering a house fire can send a shiver up any homeowner’s spine. The danger, the damage and the sheer overwhelming experience is something no one should have to endure, but unfortunately, thousands of house fires happen across the country every year.

Since house fires cannot be completely prevented, you have to have a reliable way of getting out of your home at a moment’s notice. Creating a fire escape plan with your family can help keep everyone safe during the unexpected.

The Plan Creation  

Take the time to draw out an accurate map of your home on a piece of paper, including all of the windows and doors. Have your kids go from room to room and point out all of the exit points, and show them how to open the windows in each room. That may seem irresponsible to do, but it is  a necessary skill for your kids to know during a true emergency. 

Just be sure to reinforce the idea that windows should never be played with. Once you have the exits identified, go outside and choose a central meeting location that is far enough away to be safe but easy enough to get to by all members of your family.

If you live in an apartment, you also need to have a plan, but yours should include the directions on where the stairs are located and how to quickly access the fire escape. Walk through your hallway to identify these areas and make sure your kids know not to use the elevator in a fire. 

Putting It Into Action   

Here comes the fun part for your kids! Practicing your escape plan can keep a serious conversation light-hearted while also reinforcing these concepts for your kids. Simulate a regular day in your household and then push the test button on your smoke alarm to get the game in action. Have your kids practice getting out of whatever room they are in the fastest.

As they exit their rooms, encourage them to get down on their hands and knees to crawl down the hall. Explain the dangers of fire smoke and why it is important to not breathe it in. Once everyone is safely outside, explain how to call 911 and what to tell the dispatcher when they answer. 

Taking Care of You

House fires can create serious and often overwhelming emotions. The adrenaline you experience during the emergency will start to wear off and you will see the damage you are faced with after the fire is out. Our team understands the sensitive nature of house fire recovery, so lean on us to help you overcome this devastating situation. 

Our team will work hard to save as many of your possessions as possible and we will clean upholstery, drapes and even fragile keepsakes to the best of our ability. Once your space is clean and sanitized, we will rebuild and restore your damaged home. We can even handle any demolition that needs to happen before rebuilding rooms or walls. We will make sure your house fire quickly becomes a distant memory.

Suffered a house fire? Call SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette right away.

The Importance of Developing an Emergency Plan | SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette

11/30/2023 (Permalink)

emergency ready plan binder Need help preparing your business for disaster? SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton, & Fayette is ready to help get your ERP in place!

Disasters at work are by nature unexpected, which can lead to chaotic situations, catastrophic damage and danger for everyone under your roof if you aren’t prepared. You may think you would know what to do in the middle of a warehouse fire or during an unexpected flood, but when the reality of the situation arrives, it can lead to serious consequences if you don’t act quickly.

Do you have a reliable emergency response plan ready to use for your commercial property? Having a plan in place for a variety of different possible scenarios is the best way for you to avoid business-ending disasters and ensure your staff’s safety no matter what. 

The SERVPRO® Emergency Ready Plan 

Our commercial services division can  help you create a reliable Emergency Ready Plan for your business so you are ready for anything. This plan will help you minimize disruption and can help you overcome various disaster situations faster and more reliably.

Having a plan is so important for the health and future of your business. Unfortunately, about 25% of businesses in the United States do not reopen after suffering a disaster. Those aren’t great odds, so having a plan in place to help you navigate these situations is vital. Our Emergency Ready Plan outlines what to do before, during and after a situation so that you can always stay in control. 

What’s Included in the Plan? 

We start by coming out to your property to do a no-cost assessment of your facility. We will check the entire building from top to bottom and assess the different threats that could impact our business and then create a Profile Document based on what we find. 

This document helps identify emergency exits, fire extinguisher locations, first-aid kits and escape routes. It also offers mitigation suggestions like where to store important documents and how to create go-bags for your employees to grab in an emergency. 

We also take the time to identify the chain of command in your business so that everyone is able to stay connected and the communication is clear throughout any sort of disaster situation. For example, if a water line bursts, knowing that a specific manager is in charge of finding the water shut-off valve while another manager’s responsibility is keeping people out of the area can make sure everyone stays safe and the situation remains contained. 


When We Step In
We are proud to help our local businesses navigate disaster situations and we hope that you can avoid them altogether, but we are always here to handle your recovery if one does occur. We will arrive quickly, tackle repairs efficiently and work with your insurance company to ensure you can open your doors back up as fast as possible to minimize downtime and closures.

We can help you stay open for business! Contact SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette to set up your Emergency Ready Plan.

Staying Safe After Suffering Storm Damage | SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette

11/30/2023 (Permalink)

Storm Tossed Tree Impales a House Roof Once the storm is gone, call SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton, & Fayette to restore your home.

Seeing storm damage coverage after a storm sweeps through an area nearby is always unnerving, because we all know that it could happen to us at any time. Storms are unpredictable, but especially during the hot and muggy summer months.

While we can’t completely prevent home damage, we can still all prepare for the possibility of it so we know what to do if we do suffer damage. Check out our storm damage tips below to learn more. 

Once the Storm is Gone

You are all hunkered down in your safe shelter location and are hearing the sounds of the storm finally start to fade away. The thunder gets less loud, the rain is letting up and the house isn’t creaking and cracking as much.

That might signal you to jump up and assess the damage, but be really careful. Storms often come in waves, so be sure to check the forecast or tune into your radio to make sure the storm is gone before heading outside.

Move about slowly as you assess your property for damage. Structural damage can compromise the safety of your home, so walk slowly and avoid any broken floorboards, damaged walls or broken glass. Take your phone with you while you do your initial assessment just in case you run into any trouble. 

This is also the time to check in with any family members that weren’t home when the storm came through, and you should also check in with your neighbors. Storms can follow very distinct damage patterns and can cause serious damage to one house while leaving the next one untouched.

Tips After You Call Us

Once everyone has been deemed safe, it’s time to make some decisions. Calling SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette is one of the best things you can do for your home! Our team is locally owned and operated, which means we can be at your doorstep ready to work faster. Give us a call and we will quickly gather our supplies and team and be on our way to you. 

While you wait for us to get to you, start laying out tarps over the damaged sections of your home or temporarily board up windows. If it is still drizzling or raining outside, this can help protect your home from further damage. You can even start to pull your possessions from the room to protect your keepsakes and important belongings. 

Our team will help you recover from whatever home damage you are faced with no matter how destructive the storm was. We can repair roofs, walls and floors with confidence, and we focus on a restore rather than replace mentality. We will help put your home back together faster and more thoroughly. 

Storm damage can happen in the blink of an eye. Contact SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette for a faster recovery.

Mold In HVAC System

1/19/2023 (Permalink)

How Is Mold Removed from Ducts?

Removing mold from HVAC systems should be done by licensed mold remediation experts who know how to clean the mold clean the mold from the system in a way to prevent mold spores from spreading to other areas. In order to prevent the spores from spreading, our professional technicians will contain the surrounding areas around the registers. Items that are covered in mold will be removed from the structure to be either replaced or restored. Air scrubbers will be utilized to clean the air during the HVAC system cleaning. For more information on our air scrubbers and how they work, refer to our blog post on air scrubbers.

Duct lines are good breeding grounds for mold spores. It is dark, isolated and can be humid if the system is not running correctly and there can be dirt, dust, and debris that can speed up mold growth. It is important to have your System professionally cleaned every couple of years. 

Give us a call today if you believe that mold could potentially be growing in your home or business! We are always here to help. 

It's Busted Pipe Season in Russellville, Hamilton, and Fayette Counties!

12/22/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Pipe Tips

Busted pipes can wreak havoc and spell disaster in a commercial building. It is important to have to protocols in place to get the water turned off and cleaned up as quickly as possible. 

The #1 priority when a pipe burst, is to get the water turned off ASAP. After the supply has been turned off, open up every faucet to drain the remaining water from the lines. Also turn off the water the heater and flush every toilet at least one time. Once these objectives have been completed, the next phase can begin. 

Step #2 is to reduce secondary damage. This is done by getting the water removed from the structure in a timely manner. Water will continue to move through building materials as long as it is present. If there is any doubt that water ran through an area that contains electricity, turn off the power at the breakers and consult an electrician to perform an inspection. 

Step #3 is to contact a certified mitigation specialist such as SERVPRO. Even though you may have removed the standing water, there will still be elevated moisture levels and humidity. It is crucial to make sure that moisture levels and humidity are returned to preloss levels to reduce the risk of mold forming. 

Should busted pipes cause water to infiltrate your building, call SERVPRO today to let us help you get your business back in working order. 

NO WATER DAMAGE IS TOO BIG OR SMALL

7/22/2022 (Permalink)

Whether a flood or a leaky pipe, SERVPRO can help.

The first 24 hours following an incident are the most important in
preventing secondary or permanent damage. Within four hours of loss
notification, a SERVPRO Professional will be onsite to help ensure
water damage is handled by completing the following steps.

INSPECTION
We will inspect the affected area and determine the extent of the
water damage and will review the inspection with you to answer any of
your questions before beginning any work.

EMERGENCY SERVICES
We will take steps to help protect your home or business, as well as
your personal belongings to extract water and prepare drying and we
will explain things step by step.

MONITORING
To help ensure everything is drying appropriately we will monitor the
drying process. The updates will be consistently communicated to you.

RESTORATION SERVICES
SERVPRO Professionals will repair structural materials, reinstall
carpets, and clean affected areas of your property and belongings. We
will do a final walk-through of the jobsite with you to ensure the
property was returned to preloss condition.

Top reasons to choose SERVPRO:

*24/7/365 Emergency Service
*Over 2,000 Franchises 
*Restore vs. Replace
*Commercial and Residential
*Services very by location

Protect Your Assets

7/22/2022 (Permalink)

You have so much time  and energy and resources to protect and
increase the value of your business. When you experience fire, water
or mold damage in your facility, you need fast response and expertise
to handle the situation to get back in operation as soon as possible.
You expect the best service and most reliable service at a fair price.
Here at SERVPRO we are certified professionals that are trained and
committed  to providing fire and water cleanup and restoration
services to reduce business interruptions and recovery costs.
Technicians are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help get
your business back in business.

A great benefit for Choosing SERVPRO is our
Service Response Guidelines
We take great pride in our 1-4-8- Service Response Guidelines
1
Within 1 hr from notice of loss, a SERVPRO Professional will contact
you to arrange for service
4
Within 4 hrs of loss notification, a SERVPRO Professional will be on
site to start mitigation services.
8
Within 8 business hrs of on site arrival, a verbal briefing of the
scope will be communicated to the appropriate person.