5 Common Causes Of Household Fires

4/19/2021 (Permalink)

Fires are extremely dangerous and can spread very quickly. Household fires are especially deadly because they can endanger everybody living in that home, especially young children, or the elderly living inside. It can also result in a lot of monetary damage. When such fires occur, it is important to call for professionals to help with fire damage restoration. While your insurance can help to mitigate some of the losses resulting from the fire, it is a much better idea to prevent these fires from happening. Read on to find out some of the most common causes of household fires.

Cooking-Related Fires

Fires related to cooking make up about 50% of household fires. These fires usually come as a result of the stove or oven overheating grease. When it hits a certain temperature, grease becomes extremely flammable and can combust even without coming into contact with flames. Fire that results from grease is also difficult to smother. To prevent such a fire, ensure that you never leave the kitchen unattended when cooking oily, fatty foods are when oil is used in your food.

Fires Resulting from Heating Appliances

Some heating appliances are prone to causing fires, including home space heaters and baseboard heaters. Fires occur if combustibles are left near these heaters. Cooling and heating appliances have also caused a considerable number of household fires. If your heater requires fuel like kerosene, you have to make sure you keep an eye on it as the heater can explode or ignite if homeowners are negligent. Furthermore, electrical heaters can also cause fires if there are problems with the electrical wiring.

Fires from Electrical Faults

Electrical faults in the wiring of the home can also result in fires. These fires usually occur due to short circuits which ignite the surrounding materials. If the circuit is overloaded, the wires will overheat, resulting in a higher chance of a household fire. Ensure that these circuits are checked and maintained regularly to lower the chances of such a fire.

Smoking

Smoking is not only hazardous to health, but it can also even potentially cause household fires. When cigarette butts are not properly disposed of, they can catch fire. The most dangerous thing to avoid is smoking in bed. One single stray ash has the power to ignite the carpet, the blanket, the mattress and more, making the home prone to household fires. If needed, smoke outside or smoke over the basin.

Candles

Candles are also one of the common causes of household fires. Combustible materials are fabrics near the candle can catch fire if there are strong winds, or if left unattended. Furthermore, lighters or matchsticks used to light these candles up are also highly flammable. If you have a candle at home, you should keep it at least 12 inches away from materials that have a risk of igniting.

In the case that a household fire has broken out, after you have contacted the fire department, you should also contact professionals for fire damage repair and restoration. SERVPRO has a team of experts that can help to quickly assess the situation and carry out the necessary repair works. We respond quickly to calls for help, and also provide a 24-hour emergency service. Feel free to contact us to find out more about our fire damage repair and restoration!