Smoke and Air Quality, Should You be Concerned?

2/7/2022 (Permalink)

On Monday January 31, 2022, a fire broke out at the Winston -Salem Weaver Fertilizer Plant. The imminent danger was the potential for the over 600 tons of ammonium nitrate and 5000 tons of finished fertilizer to explode. Residents within a one-mile radius were asked to evacuate. From the onset, plumes of smoke have continuously billowed into the sky creating a haze throughout the entire region which impacts the air quality. Fires put harmful toxins into the air and according to the EPA, Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic materials burn. According to the EPA soot particles can cause health effects.

People with heart or lung disease, people with diabetes, the elderly, small children, and pregnant women should take their doctor’s advice as to the best way of dealing with soot particle inhalation. In the case of the fertilizer plant fire, the fire department is sending up drones to monitor the air quality. Concerned citizens can monitor the results by following the local weather reports.

A structure fire can impact both the outdoor and the indoor air quality. Even if you have a fire that does minimal structural damage the indoor air quality will be impacted. It is important to have the soot and fire residue removed by a trained restoration company, such as SERVPRO of North Orange County, to not only eliminate odor, but to restore air quality to preloss conditions. If you experience a fire, large or small, or are just concerned about indoor air quality SERVPRO of North Orange County can help. Our trained technicians can clean fire damaged buildings and contents, removing odor and improving air quality by capturing harmful airborne particles with air scrubbers. Additionally, SERVPRO of North Orange County offers duct cleaning as a further method of improving indoor air quality. Call 919-244-0788