Secure Your Commercial Property After a Fire

7/19/2021 (Permalink)

A building that has been hit with a fire may not seem like a desirable location, but there are several factors that can attract looters, trespassers, or vandals. Here are a few reasons that SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton and Fayette has put together about why a building owner or manager should secure the premises after a fire has been extinguished.

To Prevent Further Damage

Every person that enters a building damaged by fire is likely to make damage worse. Several factors may include:

• Admitting debris
• Admitting water
• Grinding soot into surfaces

Boarding up holes in doors and windows and using tarps to cover a damaged roof are the best ways to prevent these types of damage. A building owner may also want to consider installing security fencing until restoration is complete.

To Limit Liability

A property owner may be liable if anyone, including a third-party, sustains an injury on the location of a fire. Security measures can make it more difficult for trespassers to get into a structure that has fire damage and risk becoming injured.

To Discourage Looting

A number of items in a fire-damaged property may be desirable to looters. Even after many contents and parts of a structure have become damaged or destroyed, a business may retain some elements, such as:

• Inventory
• Fixtures
• Wiring

Looting may still pose a risk regardless of whether building materials, fixtures, or other contents are intact or in need of being disposed of and replaced. A board-up, combined with security fencing, can help to limit losses and damage caused by trespassing.

Securing a building demonstrates an owner's desire to mitigate damage. Most insurers will seek evidence that mitigation is taking place. Securing a location with fire damage is one of the best ways to indicate an intention to restore the building for functional use as soon as possible.