Asbestos Debris a Concern in the Remains of Fire-Destroyed Buildings

The debris of fire-damaged structures could contain asbestos, a carcinogenic substance.

Older buildings damaged or destroyed by fires may leave behind asbestos in their charred remains. Such debris can cause serious harm to people who inhale it or ingest it. Once commonly used as a building material in buildings across South Florida and across the nation, asbestos has become known as one of the more carcinogenic substances out there. Companies have largely stopped using it altogether, although traces of the substance remain in many structures built prior to the 1980s. People exposed to asbestos often experience breathing difficulties, although they may not develop cancers until years, or even decades, later. Many homeowners, property owners and property managers have proactively tried to eliminate this hazardous substance before it can cause harm. In South Florida, people can enlist asbestos abatement fort lauderdale firms to test for, and get rid of, asbestos in buildings and in outdoor spaces.

Public safety professional and health experts say that people should avoid the areas around burned-down buildings, if at all possible, and use caution to avoid contact with the debris from these buildings. Buildings and homes damaged by fires could put people’s health in jeopardy, not only from airborne contaminants like asbestos and dust, but also from the structures themselves. Fire-damaged buildings could suddenly collapse, imperiling anyone in the vicinity. Debris or dust from these buildings could contain asbestos, and people could unknowingly carry microscopic asbestos fibers into their homes or workplaces if they walk in the vicinity of asbestos-containing buildings.

In Miami area locations like North Miami Beach, Doral, South Beach, Cutler Bay and Hialeah, residents can take measures to protect themselves and their families from the potential danger of asbestos in their homes. They can hire asbestos removal miami companies to determine the extent of asbestos in houses, condos and other structures and eliminate the substance before it causes diseases like mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Asbestos-Related Illnesses Affect Thousands Each Year

Asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma and other diseases.

Although its use has widely vanished in recent decades, asbestos continues to impact the lives and health of people across the United States, including right here in South Florida. Buildings constructed before the 1980s in South Florida likely have traces of asbestos, a once commonly-used building material that can cause respiratory ailments as well as forms of cancer like mesothelioma. Residents in places like Boca Raton, Hollywood, Hialeah, Miami, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale can hire asbestos testing South Florida firms to evaluate their houses, condominiums and apartment buildings and determine if they contain asbestos. Businesses that offer asbestos removal miami services can help local government officials, businesses and residents eliminate asbestos from residential properties, office buildings, courthouses, libraries and other structures in places like Wynwood, Bal Harbour, Little Haiti, Little Havana, Homestead, South Beach, Coral Gables and Miami Beach.

Each year, thousands of people across the nation develop diseases caused by their past exposure to asbestos, underscoring the prevalence of this harmful substance. Older buildings and homes in places such as Sunrise, Plantation, Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Creek, Hallandale Beach, Davie, Miramar, Pompano Beach, Lauderhill, Parkland and Pembroke Pines may have asbestos in different parts of their structures. Fortunately, leading asbestos abatement fort lauderdale firms across the area can identify and properly remove asbestos from schools, post offices, city halls, apartment complexes, condos, townhouses and other locations where it may exist.

Long-term asbestos exposure can cause severe health complications that in many cases prove fatal. Most commonly, asbestos victims inadvertently inhale asbestos fibers, leading to scarring of the lungs, asbestosis, lung cancer and other related conditions. Asbestos can also cause cancers of the stomach and other organs. Although short-term exposure to asbestos often does not lead to serious health problems, people may still ant to avoid all contact with asbestos fibers.