Top Five Causes of Home Fires and How to Avoid Them

5/20/2020 (Permalink)

Lucy putting out a stove fire

Home is where we relax, unwind, and connect with family and friends.   This is our safe haven. Unfortunately, it’s also where nearly a third of all fires begin. To help keep your home and loved ones safe, here are some tips to prevent leading causes of fire in your home.

Cooking

Kitchens are the heart of a household and one of the most visited rooms in the home.  The leading cause of fires in the home start in the kitchen.  They’re responsible for almost half the injuries from home fires. Most kitchen fires involve the stove.

Safety Tips:

• Never leave the stove unattended.  Turn off the stove if you leave the kitchen even for a brief time.
• Using a timer to remind you that you’re cooking is a great idea.
• Keep flammable items such as paper, packaging, towels, oven mitts and wooden cooking utensils away from the stove and oven.
• Never pour water on a grease fire, this will only make the fire worse.
• If you decide to fight a fire, smother it by turning off the burner and covering it with a metal or glass lid or pot. If you can’t extinguish the fire, leave the room, close the door and call 911.

Smoking

Smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in the home. Cigarettes, pipes, cigars and other smoking materials started fires that caused 21 percent of home fire deaths. Tragically, one out of four victims was not even the smoker whose cigarette ignited the fire.

Safety Tips:

• If you smoke, do it outside. Many smoking fires begin in the bedroom or living room when the smoker falls asleep.
• Use a sturdy ashtray. Don’t toss cigars or cigarettes into bushes or leave
• Be cautious with E Cigarettes.   It is not a good idea to leave them charging unattended or overnight. If the battery gets wet or damaged, replace it. Definitely don’t tamper with safety features.
• Smoking near where medical oxygen is used is very dangerous. It can make materials ignite more easily and fuel a faster fire.

Electrical and Lighting Equipment

Electrical equipment can also create hazards in the home. Wiring, lighting, electrical cords, and plugs cause about 10 percent of home fires each year.

Safety Tips:   

• Having Arc-fault circuit interrupters installed to monitor a circuit’s electrical current and shut the circuit off if unintended arcing happens.
• Using light bulbs higher than the recommended wattage in lamps can be dangerous.
• Unplug appliances when not in use is a great idea.
• Being careful with electrical cords is very smart.  Avoid in places where they could get run over or damaged.
• Child proof unused electrical outlets with child safety covers.
• Use lampshades or other covers to make sure a light bulb isn’t bare and radiating heat near flammable material.
• Call an electrician if you have sparks from an outlet or frequently blown fuses.  It is a good idea to have a electrician you trust number on hand.

• Heating Equipment

Heating equipment is the second main cause of home fire fatalities. December, January, and February are the peak months for home heating fires. Most heating fire deaths (86%) involve space heaters.

Safety Tips:

• Having a professional clean and inspect your chimney each year is a great idea. A leading factor in home heating fires was the failure to clean chimneys.
• Keep flammable materials away from heaters.
• Test smoke alarms once a month and change out batteries at least once if not twice a year.
• Vent fuel-burning equipment to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Candles

Candles are a lot of fun especially around the holidays.  The highest rates of home candle fires are on New Year’s Day, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.

Safety Tips:

• Put candles out before going to bed. Sleeping was a factor in 11% of the home candle fires.
• Candles should be at least one foot away from anything that could catch fire.
• Place candles on a sturdy surface.
• Something we do not think of, but be careful when lighting candles to keep hair and clothing away from them. Don’t burn a candle all the way down.
• Keep lit candles out of reach of small children and pets.

Hopefully you found these tips helpful!  We at SERVPRO of Piatt/DeWitt County, want you and your family and your home to be safe.  In the unfortunate event you do have a fire, SERVPRO of Piatt/DeWitt County is here to help.  We specialize in clean up of your home and cleaning your contents from furniture to clothing.  Give us a call at 217-935-2992.