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Commercial Roof Fire Prevention

October is fire prevention month. Every October, the NFPA raises awareness of the dangerous threat that fire can pose to you. This year the NFPA’s theme is, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.” You should always be prepared to evacuate a building when a threat such as this emerges, but there are also a few things you can do to prevent a fire and reduce the risk. Here are a few methods of commercial roof fire prevention.

Commercial Roof Fire Hazards

The most common fire hazard in a commercial space is the kitchen. Various cooking stoves and ovens are on for hours at a time and the combination of grease and heat lead to a disaster all too easily.

You can significantly reduce your risk of a commercial roof fire by following proper safety protocols like turning off appliances when not in use, and storing flammable materials far away from heat-generating appliances.

This warning applies to all commercial buildings with a kitchen, not just to restaurants. Hotels, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and some office buildings all have kitchens. It is especially important to take caution in these spaces because fire burns hot and fast, and there won’t be much time to evacuate everyone in an emergency.

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities have a large number of people inside at any given moment, and people who are recovering are very fragile to move. Take every fire precaution in these buildings to make sure everyone stays safe.

Another commercial fire hazard is heating systems, especially as we are coming into cooler months. Many heating systems haven’t been used in more than 6 months. Dust has accumulated on the heating systems, and the risk of fire is high. Make sure you clean your commercial heating system so it is free of debris and flammable particles before turning your heater on for the first time this fall.

Plan For Disaster

As Max Mayfield once said, “Preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy.” This has a direct application here. Fire codes and evacuation plans are important to review and pay attention to. You can avoid significant loss by preparing for a disaster before you have to handle a serious situation.

To prevent commercial fire disasters, make sure evacuation routes are clear and that everyone in the building knows where to go in case of an emergency. Once a fire alarm sounds off, you have only a few minutes to get out of the building safely. Fire is hot and moves very fast, and the smoke is likely to incapacitate you before you see flames. If there is a fire, get out of the building as fast as possible.

Chicago Fire Of 1871

In 1871 Chicago suffered from a fire that devastated the city. Hundreds of lives were lost, thousands of people were left homeless, and thousands of buildings were destroyed. This is the fire that inspired fire prevention week, so that we may never lose as many lives to fire again. 

Fire spreads rapidly and that is why it is so important to take every preventative measure possible.

Call Supreme Roofing For Commercial Roofing Needs

We are here to repair or replace your commercial roofing system. Fire is a dangerous beast, follow these precautions so that you don’t have to call us for a fire repair, but if you ever suffer from fire damage, we are here to help. We would love to not have to see you under such circumstances, but we are here to help you and repair your commercial roof from fire damage. 

Call us at 214-330-8913 for all your commercial roofing needs. Do your part to keep your commercial building safe from fire, and contact us for any repair you may need. 

Craig Rainey
Craig Rainey

Executive Vice President

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