3 Ways Fire and Smoke Affect Electronics

5/24/2022 (Permalink)

Open flames and high heat melt electronics.

Three Effects of Fire and Smoke on Electronics

High heat, soot and smoke can stop electronics from working or even raise the risk of another electrical fire at a commercial building in Hendersonville, NC. Here are three ways in which fire at your business or at a commercial property can damage electronics and necessitate professional content cleaning at an off-site location or replacement. 

1. Open Flames and High Heat Melt Electronics
The temperature of building fires tops out around 1,500 to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Needless to say, contents exposed to open flames and very high temperatures are likely to ignite and burn, melt or otherwise or suffer damage caused by heat, fire, soot and smoke. Electronic devices are very sensitive to all of these types of damage and require specialized computer cleanup.

2. Smoke Damage Causes Overheating
Soot can cause a black residue to form on chips and circuits. If you power up a computer that has been exposed to fire or soot damage without first cleaning these components thoroughly, you run a much higher risk of a short-circuiting and electrical fire.

 3. Water Causes Corrosion To Form
If firefighters use water to suppress a fire, this secondary damage can cause corrosion to form on metal components in appliances, computers or devices. Contents of a structure with fire damage tend to be exposed to chemical compounds that accelerate rusting. Corrosion can also cause short-circuiting or stop electronics from working.
After a fire causes damage at a business or commercial property in Hendersonville, NC, it is important to carefully assess the condition of electronics. Do not attempt to turn on devices that have potentially been exposed to extremely high temperatures, soot or smoke, as this can cause overheating or short-circuiting and raise the risk of an electrical fire. Electronics cleaning experts can safely check, clean and test computers and devices.