Blog Post

Is Soot From a House Fire Dangerous?

Ryker Bingham | Sep 27, 2021

House fires are devastating. You’ve lost precious items, and your home’s integrity is damaged. Once repairs are made, restoration is a critical factor in regaining your life. Yet, when you walk into your home, you may notice black smudges around as a result of fire damage. It might not look like anything significant at first, but in actuality, it’s soot and should be handled with caution.

You might be asking yourself, is soot really that dangerous? To answer that question, you need to know:

What is soot, and how is it formed?
What does soot smell and look like?
What are the health risks of soot?
What are the environmental risks?
How do you clean soot?

It's time to arm yourself with even more knowledge of a less-than-pleasant side effect of fire damage, soot!

What is Soot, and How is it Formed?

Soot is a by-product of fire. The sticky particles are no larger than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. It's sticky, clings to surfaces and can hang in the air for several days after a fire.

Typically, soot is formed through burning fossil fuels, in particular coal. However, burning coal is not the typical cause of soot layering your belongings when it comes to house fires. Instead, it is formed from the incomplete combustion of wood and other items.

You may also release soot in your home through the use of a fireplace. When you burn a fire in your fireplace, the wood produces these tiny particles of matter, sending them up the chimney with the smoke. Because soot is naturally sticky, it clogs the inside of the chimney. As it begins to build up, you may notice that your chimney doesn’t effectively "draw" out the smoke.

What Does Soot Smell and Look Like?

If you’ve ever been around a fire, even just a campfire, you’ve probably noticed a light black dusting on things nearby. It’s a very fine but sticky residue that seems to cover everything. That substance is soot.

As mentioned previously, soot particles are small. A single soot particle is even smaller than a particle of dust. That’s why you might not notice it while the fire is burning. Individual particles are almost too small to see with the naked eye. However, once it settles and forms larger patches, then you’ll notice it.

Even if you can’t see it, you might still notice soot within your home. For example, if you used your fireplace recently and began to smell asphalt, it's actually the build-up within your fireplace. The mixture of soot and creosote clinging to the inside of the chimney releases a foul odor that you can’t ignore. Some even describe the smell as that of a bad barbecue. Your home does not have to suffer from fire damage or have a fireplace for soot to invade.

Health Risks Associated with Soot

Soot’s main component is black carbon. As black carbon is created by chemical changes to the burning material, it can cause health issues, including respiratory problems and cancer. According to an EPA study, the World Health Organization estimates that particles found indoors are "among the top ten major risk factors globally." In addition, it is responsible for approximately 2 million deaths each year.

The tiny particles of soot are deadly, even at low levels. Most people affected by lower levels include infants, the elderly, and people with preexisting conditions such as asthma or COPD. Soot also increases lung problems even when it is not fatal.

The experts at Cancer.com further explain that soot has been associated with the development of certain types of cancer. In fact, it was first linked to skin cancer in 1775 when a surge in cases appeared among the British chimney sweeps. Since then, soot has been associated with bladder, lung, and esophageal cancers.

What Are The Environmental Risks?

As previously stated, soot is primarily composed of black carbon. Due to the nature of this material, it acts as a heating element for carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Heating CO2 gases leads to a warming effect over the infected area, which some scientists believe is why many have seen global warming.

In addition to global warming, soot particles in the atmosphere can cause hazy conditions in the sky. This reduces the visibility of the area. In large towns and cities, it can make it more difficult for drivers to navigate the streets. In outdoor spaces, such as a national park, the scenic views are adversely affected. According to Americanprogress.org, visibility in these areas was once 90 miles. Today it is a mere 15 to 25 miles due to soot pollution and haze.

Along with reducing visibility and affecting the climate, soot particles play a part in acidifying water. The rise in acidity degrades water quality and depletes soil nutrients, making it more challenging to grow crops.

How Do You Clean Soot?

Due to the hazardous nature of soot, if you’ve recently had a fire, you need to clean the affected area thoroughly before reoccupying the space. Before you begin, you should make sure you have personal protective equipment (PPE) handy. You do not want to touch the soot with your bare hands. According to The Spruce, you’ll need:

Rubber gloves
Safety glasses
Protective clothing
Protective mask

In addition to your PPE, you'll need buckets, microfiber cloths, dishwashing liquid with degreaser, vacuum, and sponges. You should also have either a dry cleaning or a special soot sponge to help with clean up.

Begin by ventilating the area and covering surfaces. Next, vacuum the area thoroughly, including the walls. Remember soot smears, so be gentle on the walls. Use the dry soot sponge to remove particles from hard surfaces. Do not wet the soot sponge, or it will become ineffective.

Once the soot is removed from hard surfaces, you may need to go over the area with a wet cleaning solution to remove any staining. Next, wash and rinse the walls and other hard surfaces. Dry them completely.

While you can clean soot from your home, it is best to leave it in the hands of professionals. They can assure proper cleaning of hard and soft surfaces to restore your living space.

Conclusion

Understanding what soot is, is a considerable step in safely removing it from your home. However, don’t discount it as a risk just because of its size. Collectively, it can cause cancer and respiratory issues. Because of the safety risks involved, removal is best handled by seasoned professionals.