Indianapolis – A home building in a Carrollton Avenue block caught fire accidentally the very same day on which asbestos removal had been scheduled to start. It is the avenue’s 1600 block that caught fire just before the start of an asbestos removal project. Residents informed the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) that they felt smell of something on fire on Friday from the closet in that home. The home was quickly evacuated and contractors arrived there for removing asbestos material. The contractors attempted for containing the fire till the firefighters reached on the site. The firefighters were informed about the fire at around 7.50 AM and they reached there around 8 AM. The remaining electrical fire in the attic was then extinguished by them. There were 3 members in the Near Northside family that was displaced in the morning. According to Freda Brinkley, a homeowner in the locality, said she felt a burning smell and saw smoke releasing from the walk-in closet in the home. “I was expecting abatement contractors to reach in the morning for removing asbestos material and replacing the old wiring,” she said. According to Kevin Witt, the Battalion Chief, the estimated damage is approximately $15000. No injuries have been reported following the fire. Though asbestos is not used now-a-days in construction materials, there are still many old buildings that have asbestos. Until the 1980s, asbestos was a very popular construction material. Asbestos was widely used because it was strong, flexible, resistant to heat, electricity, fire and corrosion, and cheap. Many of the readers may be interested to know whether asbestos in a burnt home is dangerous. It is definitely dangerous because asbestos does not burn. It has excellent resistance against fire. However, the fire may carry the particles of asbestos in smoke and can potentially hurt the health of human beings. When wind and fire blow the particles through air, it can be inhaled easily. Inhalation of these particles can cause serious diseases such as malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. According to experts, when a building with asbestos cement is burnt, light particles of ACM (asbestos containing materials) can settle on the surrounding areas. These light and small particles don’t burn. They go up in the environment and can be transported easily with wind. Therefore everyone staying nearby a burnt asbestos-containing building are at risk of developing fatal diseases.
