Challenge
A significant fire occurred in one of the warehouses of the Winters School District, affecting a well-occupied building with twenty offices. The fire resulted in extensive smoke damage, affecting ceiling tiles, cubicle materials, and carpeting.
The immediate need was to restore the office space to a habitable condition as quickly as possible while managing the contents and coordinating with the insurance provider.
Proposed Solution
West Coast Fire & Water was engaged to devise and implement a recovery plan. The approach was methodical, focusing on the least aggressive actions first to minimize disruption.
1. Emergency Board-Up
Following the fire department’s extinguishment of the fire, the team promptly boarded up doors and windows to secure the building.
2. Air Quality Management
The first priority was to make the office space inhabitable. Air scrubbers and hydroxyl generators were deployed throughout the area to start filtering the air and remove smoke particulates.
3. Surface Cleaning
The team conducted thorough cleaning of flat surfaces where ash and soot had settled, as well as cleaning the HVAC units and replacing filters to improve air quality. Carpet cleaning was also performed as part of this initial, less aggressive approach.
4. Assessment & Communication
This initial strategy was agreed upon with the insurance carrier, with the understanding that if the smoke odor persisted, a more aggressive approach would be necessary, potentially involving the removal of ceiling tiles, carpets, and even walls.
5. Ozone Treatment
After the initial cleaning efforts failed to eliminate the smoke odor, West Coast Fire & Water provided an ozone treatment over the weekend at no charge. Unfortunately, this treatment also did not resolve the issue.
6. Transition to Aggressive Approach
The demolition phase included removing all affected ceiling tiles, insulation, process some walls, and carpets. Following this, repairs and reconstruction process commenced, installing new ceiling tiles, flooring, and insulation.
7. Demolition & Reconstruction
Given the lingering smoke odor, the team moved to a more aggressive recovery plan. All contents were moved out of the building into twenty containers, one for each office, to facilitate thorough remediation.
8. Building Improvements
During the reconstruction, the school district opted to pay out of pocket for additional improvements, such as new windows and an improved layout.
9. Transition to Repairs
To minimize disruption during the restoration, a temporary office space was constructed for the school district staff. Each staff member was able to select necessary items from their office contents as needed, ensuring continuity of operations.
10. Final Restoration
Once reconstruction was complete, all restored contents were returned to their respective places, allowing the school district to resume normal activities.
Results
West Coast Fire & Water’s systematic approach effectively addressed the fire damage and smoke odor issues in the Winters School District warehouse. By starting with less aggressive actions and escalating as necessary, the team was able to manage costs and disruption while maintaining clear communication with the insurance provider.
The successful demolition and reconstruction not only restored the building to a functional state but also enhanced it through improvements. The creation of a temporary workspace ensured that staff could continue their work with minimal interruption.
