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Case Study

Southwinds Condo Fire Requires Restoration Muscle

Southwinds 3

What

On June 30 at 6:00 pm, ServiceMaster By Glenn’s was called by the Southwinds property manager alerting that the 15-unit condominium was on fire from a lightning strike. At the time of the call, the fire was still burning. The early notice meant that ServiceMaster was ready to begin the remediation process immediately after the fire marshal deemed the building safe to enter.

Job Scope

Cleared to begin work on July 1, ServiceMaster By Glenn’s sent 20 restoration specialists to begin the restoration process. The first concern was providing power distribution to the building as the meter rooms were drenched with over 500,000 gallons of water used to put out the fire. It was crucial to start drying out the building and get it under air conditioning ASAP to prevent mold, but all the air conditioning units on the roof were destroyed. ServiceMaster By Glenn’s brought in five large generators to power all AC units, dehumidifiers and air movers. Seven 25-ton air conditioning units were put in place, increasing ventilation and preventing the growth of hazardous mold.

Before repair began, ServiceMaster By Glenn’s captured each unit with a 3D digital imaging software called Matterport. Matterport captures data and provides accurate and clear images and sketches for documentation of all items and rooms making sure that homeowners, insurance, adjusters, and contractors were all in agreement.

The second concern was quickly and efficiently removing burnt roofing materials, which required an additional 40 staff. At this stage, the top priority was to seal the roof and building exterior to prevent any further water damage to the condo units from summer rainstorms. Professional moving services were organized to pack and move any salvageable unit contents to a safe stage location.

Due to the saturation of the building, along with the smell from soot and smoke, all interior drywall, insulation, and affected flooring was discarded. The next stage brought in an industrial hygienist to complete moisture mapping, as well as mold and smoke clearance testing. Finally, the interior of the building was treated with HEPA vacuuming, antimicrobials, and ozone to sanitize the entire structure and remove the smell of smoke.

End Result

Within 7 weeks, ServiceMaster by Glenn's had the entire building cleaned, dried, and cleared for repairs.