Fire Safety for Your Saline County Church

3/10/2021 (Permalink)

Church fires often result in a total loss.

A church holds a special place in the hearts of its parishioners. Often, communities come together as one to erect a new place of worship for the residents. Once the church is built, it is especially important to understand that contributing factors could lead to the new church becoming susceptible to fire. Donated labor, while appreciated, could often unintentionally overlook important safety guidelines required for construction.

There is an average of three church fires per day in the United States. While the number is relatively small in regards to the thousands of American churches, a church fire often causes tens of thousands of dollars in damages, resulting in the church being declared a total loss. Almost 35% of these church fires can be attributed to defective furnaces and stoves. The second leading cause of church fires is a result of defective wiring. Churches should have protection against lightning and quality installation of light and heating elements.

The state of Arkansas requires architect approval for a new church build larger than 5,000 square feet and a fair market value over $100,000. This ensures quality design with safety in mind. Smaller churches are not subject to the same regulations, though it is strongly encouraged that they use a solid design and refrain from cutting corners like using a wooden shingle roof, which should never be allowed on a church.

SERVPRO of Saline County and SERVPRO of Hot Springs understand that your church is an extension of your home.  Should the unthinkable happen and your church obtains fire damage or water damage, give us a call at 501-776-2222 and we'll make it “Like it never even happened.”

We're always here to help.