How Can Electronics Be Damaged by Fire?

5/4/2021 (Permalink)

An electrical fire can wreak havoc on your Burr Hill, VA, commercial building and its contents.

Post - Fire Causes Of Electronics Damage

An electrical fire can wreak havoc on your Burr Hill, VA, commercial building and its contents. This damage can include electronics that didn't ignite the fire. You may see this burnt equipment and think it's unsalvageable. However, there's a chance you or a professional can save some of it. The first step is knowing the various post-fire causes of electronics damage.

1. Heat
A fire can result in burnt or even melted electronics, media and memory. This damage can make it virtually impossible to restore any data. If it's essential data, you may want to consult with a data restoration expert to see if it's possible to retrieve it.

2. Smoke and Soot
Removable memory, such as computer hard drives and SD cards, is typically encased in semi-sealed assemblies. Although mostly safe, they're still somewhat vulnerable to soot and smoke damage after an electrical fire. After all, smoke can drift into the tiniest of crevices, causing various problems. Many people don't realize that smoke is magnetically charged, which can cause electronics to short-circuit. Smoke can also leave a black film on the interior of electronics, leaving them sensitive to overheating. Soot is acidic and can deteriorate electronics, shortening their lifespan. If a computer or other device is damaged, you can probably remove the memory. Then, move it to a safe location. You may be able to retrieve the data yourself.

3. Water
After a fire, at least some of your electronics will probably receive water damage resulting from sprinkler systems and firefighters extinguishing the flames.
After an electrical fire, restoration must begin as soon as possible. This process includes electronics and computer cleanup. Fire damage will progressively and quickly get worse the longer it lingers. The longer it's left, the less chance of saving what could be salvageable early on.