Increased Wildfire Risk in Tornado-Affected Areas

7/26/2021 (Permalink)

If your home has been damaged by storms or fires, SERVPRO of Troup-Coweta Counties is here to help restore your property to its original state.

If you’re local to the area, you’re likely well aware of the events of March 26, and that date will probably hold significance to you for quite some time, if not forever.

That week, a group of at least seven destructive tornadoes ripped through the American South, and on that particular date the most destructive and violent of the storms, an F-4 on the Fujita scale, tore a path through the Newnan area.

Lives were lost, and homes and properties all over were destroyed or damaged to incredible degrees.

The area will be in several phases of recovery for months, and in some cases years—houses, schools and businesses will be rebuilt and restored from damage, much of which we at SERVPRO will be assisting with.

In times of disaster recovery, our focus is typically restoring our “normal” processes and places, aka the things we do and places we go most. This is only natural, and it makes good sense.

But one thing that doesn’t often receive focus after a tornado event is the increased risk of wildfires in areas that have been damaged by tornadoes.

While scientists are still researching and learning new things about fires in tornado areas, including the synergistic behavior of fire and wind, one thing is clear: Areas in which trees have broken, been pulled up and been otherwise damaged in tornadoes are more susceptible to wildfires, and there is more fuel available for wildfires because of broken bits of debris from homes and buildings in places they wouldn’t normally be.

These bits of debris, as well as fine, flammable fuels like small branches, tend to gather together and create bundles ready to burn hotter and consume even more fuel.

With this in mind, it’s even more important to think about fire safety if you live in an area that’s been affected by tornadoes. Whether it’s cooking outdoors, camping, gathering around a fire pit or even disposing of smoking materials, it’s imperative to treat fire with the respect it requires and use utmost caution anytime flammable materials are involved. With an increased risk of wildfire in our area, we must exercise an increased concern for fire safety.

If your home has been damaged by storms or fires of any cause, SERVPRO of Troup-Coweta Counties is here to help restore your property to its original state or better. Click or call today so we can get started.