What Is the Timeline of a House Fire? | SERVPRO of Bartow County

3/3/2022 (Permalink)

No matter what type of smoke or fire damage your home might suffers...SERVPRO of Bartow County can help restore your property to preloss condition.

It is a certainty that house fires are a traumatic event, but many people do not realize exactly how scary they can be. House fires happen extremely quickly, often taking mere minutes from spark to full engulfment, and for those caught nearby, escaping quickly is of the utmost Importance. 

Understanding how fires start and spread is scary, but it is wise so that you can heed their danger and understand the importance of prioritizing safety. Below, we have detailed the typical timeline of a house fire to illustrate just how quickly flames can spread.

The Typical Timeline of a House Fire

| The First 30 Seconds |

• The first 30 seconds of a house fire are critical to extinguishing it. If it is safe to do so, quickly extinguishing a fire is the best thing you can do to mitigate damages. In the first 30 seconds, fire will be looking for anything nearby that it can devour.

| 30 Seconds to 1 Minute |

• As more things begin to burn, the room will fill with hot, smoky air that includes carbon monoxide, which is quite dangerous to inhale. Just two full breaths of this smoke can cause someone to lose consciousness, which is why escaping quickly is so important.

| 1 to 2 Minutes |

• After the one-minute mark, the fire will be intense, and the smoke will be, too. Fires typically reach around 190 degrees Fahrenheit at this stage, and smoke becomes thick enough to obscure sight.

| 2 to 3 Minutes |

• At this point, the fire can reach around 400 degrees Fahrenheit and will be devouring nearly anything in its path. Because the fire is so hot, nearby items may start to catch fire even if they do not have direct contact with the flames.

| 3 Minutes Plus |

• At around the three-minute mark, the fire will reach over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough for every object in the room to burst into flames. The oxygen will be sucked out of a room by the fire using it for fuel, and windows will typically shatter.

*If your household has experienced damage due to a house fire, SERVPRO of Bartow County is the team to call at 770-387-7455 or visit www.SERVPRObartowcounty.com for more information on our fire and smoke restoration services. Our fire restoration experts are here 24/7—contact us today to learn more.