Fire-related disasters result in a complexity of problems from chemical and physical damages, and from the extreme sensitivity of handling soot-covered and burnt objects. Heat, charring, smoke, soot, ash, water and chemical extinguishers contribute to deleterious affects on all types of materials. Soot is the black oily and solid residue...

When papers get wet, they become vulnerable and difficult to handle. High humidity and water result in expansion, distortion and degradation to sheet integrity. Media may bleed, blister and detach, and adhesives will release. As moisture wicks into papers, staining and “tidelines” result from discolored water-soluble components in the papers...