December 17th, 2007

A school fire in South Carolina has now created an asbestos danger as well as increasing the budget for repairs. The asbestos was revealed in the wake of the classroom fire.

A small school that caught fire in South Carolina will now take more than $100,000 to repair, with the majority of those funds going to asbestos removal. While the fire damage is serious, it only affected three rooms, which could have been repaired easily. But when inspectors came out to survey the damage, they found exposed asbestos and the budget immediately doubled. Abatement was already being performed on select classrooms before the fire, but the issue is now pressing, as the material is no longer contained in a safe manner.

Asbestos is only dangerous when it is disturbed, such as during unlicensed removal or when damaged. Professionals that are licensed to handle the dangerous substance must perform abatement in order to keep the public safe from exposure. When asbestos is disturbed, it can break apart into airborne particles, where it can be breathed into the lungs. The fibers keep the lungs from absorbing oxygen, leading to mesothelioma. A type of aggressive lung cancer, mesothelioma is often terminal when it is detected and can take decades to diagnose. Asbestos exposure can also lead to asbestosis and emphysema, all deadly diseases.