ConstructionDeal.com Update

Don’t let this happen to you this summer as you enjoy grilling with friends and family. Our graphic artist at ConstructionDeal.com has a devastating version of a BBQ she doesn’t wish on anyone.

Last summer, Heidi and her roommate invited a few friends over to their condo for a late-afternoon BBQ. At one point, the men were outside grilling and smoking cigars on the deck while the women were inside making the salads. While the meat and portobellos finished grilling, everyone headed inside to prepare plates and start feasting. About 4 minutes later, they heard fire truck sirens and realized they could smell smoke but didn’t concern themselves with it. As the sirens got progressively louder, they all looked outside and saw that the deck was a huge orange fireball!

Everyone started yelling, someone grabbed a fire extinguisher... but even after 4 extinguishers and several attempts, the flames were unaffected. Seconds later, the firemen burst in and ran to the deck and quickly got the situation under control.

Later, the firefighters were able to figure out how the fire started. It appears that a cigar, which wasn't completely extinguished, rolled out of the ashtray and ignited a nearby, full charcoal bag - hence why the fire was so massive and escalated so quickly. The fire damage included half of the deck, part of the neighbor’s deck, as well as the awning and a portion of the roof. The firemen had to cut through the walls to make sure the fire wasn’t smoldering inside the structure.

Before they could begin the repairs, they needed to figure out if their insurance or Home Owner's Association would cover the damages. Their insurance believed it was the responsibility of the HOA but the HOA thought the opposite, so it took nearly a year to resolve the situation.

Once the insurance issues were resolved, they hired a contractor to handle all the repairs. Heidi learned much from the experience and now stresses the importance of knowing where your fire extinguishers are and making sure your smoke detectors are in working order.

She recommends knowing what your insurance will cover and if you have a Home Owner's Association, to know what they will cover so you're not in the dark about responsibility. Finally, please don’t put out cigars or cigarettes anywhere near a charcoal bag!

Have a happy, safe and fun Fourth of July!

Keep Us In Mind
If you have any... problems during your holiday celebrations, we can help you find quality fire and smoke damage repair pros. It's a free services - just tell us about your damage restoration project and we'll match you to local contractors. There's no obligation to hire anyone, but it's a fast and easy way to connect with service professionals in your area.

Labels: burned deck, Fire Safety