Catastrophic Wildfires in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah Propel Disaster Restoration Specialists to Action for Immediate Recovery

ServiceMaster Experts offer tips for water removal, smoke damage remediation

Colorado Springs, CO (June 29, 2012) – As the weather continues to generate unpredictable patterns in the recent wildfires and nearly forty thousand people have been evacuated from their homes, ServiceMaster Clean crews from neighboring states are on the scene and stand ready to quickly assist in restoration efforts. Local firefighters specifically blame dry, hot conditions for the worst wildfires in state history and which has now destroyed more than 30 square miles.

As the experts in fire and smoke restoration, the professionals from ServiceMaster Clean make the following recommendations when these elements damage your home or business. “Never touch any surfaces covered with smoke, ash or soot – the oils from your hands will permanently set the soot,” says Pete Duncanson, director of training and technical support for ServiceMaster Clean. “To evaluate contamination levels, wear disposable gloves and use a dry cleaning sponge you can purchase at your local paint store. Carefully wipe surfaces in one direction. The soils can then be shown to an insurance adjuster to help determine coverage.”

What to do:

• Corrosive byproducts can cause irreversible etching in as few as 72 hours. Call professional help;
• If the temperature is above 60 degrees, air out the house to reduce smoke odor;
• Clean Formica, chrome, porcelain and aluminum fixtures to prevent permanent tarnishing or etching;
• Change the air filter on your furnace if it uses forced hot air;
• Tape damp cheesecloth over returns and supply registers to capture loose soot in the air;
• Discard any open food packages;
• If the electricity is off, clean out the refrigerator and leave doors propped open;
• Send clothing with heavy smoke damage to a qualified restoration dry cleaner.

What not to do:

• Do not touch anything. Oil from your hands can permeate upholstery, walls and woodwork, causing additional damage;
• Do not wash walls; Incorrect cleaning could compound the soot residue;
• Do not attempt to clean carpets or upholstered furniture;
• Do not use electrical appliances until having them checked;
• Do not use ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet.

ServiceMaster Clean stands ready to help

If your home or business has been impacted by the devastation of these wildfires, you want a company you can trust to restore your peace of mind. Because we have hundreds of local offices across the country, you can rest assured knowing we will be in your area before the disaster is finished, during the job and after the restoration work is complete. The company’s local service operations throughout the country are trained, equipped and ready to restore your property after any disaster. ServiceMaster Clean handles jobs as large as your entire office building or as small as a single room in your home.

If and when the unforeseen happens in your home, call on the quick response of ServiceMaster Clean at 1-800-RESPOND. There is an emergency call center prepared to handle your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

In addition to protecting residences, we know that for your business, lost time means lost revenue -- and potentially lost customers. When disaster strikes, ServiceMaster Clean can minimize business interruptions by quickly analyzing the problem, providing a professional assessment of the damage, determining the services needed for a complete restoration, reviewing scope of services with the adjuster, finishing the job on time, and following up to insure total satisfaction.

Commercial property managers and business owners should immediately call 1-866-RECOVER, if any fire or smoke damage has occurred.  We provide a nationwide single-source solution for commercial disaster restoration, large loss claims and reconstruction services. We have one of the fastest local on-site emergency response times in the industry.

• 1-800-RESPOND  
  (Residential calls for support)
  
  
• 1-866-RECOVER
  (Commercial property managers or business owners call for support)

• 1-800-776-6710
  (Large Loss Commercial disaster support- SRM)

About ServiceMaster Clean
With nearly 3,200 franchise locations around the world, ServiceMaster Clean and ServiceMaster Recovery Management serves customers through a global network of franchises that provide cleaning and restoration resulting from damage caused by water or fire, janitorial services, commercial carpetcleaning, hard surface floor care and residential carpet and upholsterycleaning. Visit our website at www.servicemasterclean.com and www.srmcat.com.  

About ServiceMaster
With a network of more than 6,900 company-owned and franchise locations, Memphis-based ServiceMaster is one of the world’s largest residential and commercial service networks.  The company’s high-profile brands are TruGreen, Terminix, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. Through approximately 21,000 corporate employees and a franchise network that independently employs over 31,000 additional people, the ServiceMaster family of brands serve more than 8.2 million customers every year and hold market-leading. 

Media Contact:

Gina Evans Kamler
ServiceMaster Clean
(901) 597-1380
gina.kamler@servicemaster.com

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