Carol Jones
House fire can claim lives and damage property. They also happen often. You can pinpoint certain causes, and you must stay alert so these situations don’t occur.
About 353,500 residential house fires happen yearly, or so the US Fire Administration says. That number fluctuates a bit with each passing year but remains fairly consistent. With so many house fires and their main causes obvious, you should remain vigilant when you’re at home. That applies whether you live in a house, apartment, condo, or anywhere else.
Let’s talk about the most common house fire causes. Fire departments often cite these reasons why fires start, and if you know about them, you can take steps to ensure you and your family don’t become victims.
Open Flames
There’s something about fire that fascinates many humans. It’s probably a primordial thing. When you see a dancing flame, it might remind you of a time tens of thousands of years past without you even necessarily knowing why that’s the attraction.
Some people also love open flames in their homes. For instance, maybe you plan a romantic dinner with your loved one, so you have some burning candles on the table illuminating the dinner you made. Perhaps you set up some scented candles in the bedroom to create the right mood.
No matter why you have open flames in the house fire, if you do it, keep an eye on them. It’s when you forget about them or knock one over by some curtains or onto the rug that you’ll quickly have a fire burning out of control that you can’t very easily contain.
Smoking
Not as many people smoke in the modern era as did in the past. Many years ago, nearly everyone smoked, and they didn’t think much of it. Doctors even said smoking caused robust health.
At this point, we know that cigarettes, cigars, and pipes cause serious lung damage and many other health problems as well. However, some people still smoke, and those who do sometimes start fires in their homes.
If you do smoke, make sure you grind out the cigarette stub or whatever else you favor. Have ashtrays handy, and don’t fall asleep while smoking in bed or do anything else equally dangerous or careless.
Cooking
Cooking also starts many home fires, especially if you have an inexperienced chef. For example, maybe you have a teenager who decided they’d cook some burgers on the stove for the first time. If they let something distract them, like a call on their smartphone, maybe they’ll come back and find a grease fire burning that has engulfed the entire stovetop.
If you’re cooking something, don’t let anything distract you. Keep your eyes on food on top of the stove or in the oven. If you have something baking in the oven, and you start doing something else while it’s cooking, set a timer to remind you when it’s done if you don’t think you’ll remember on your own.
You should also keep a fire extinguisher handy and charged, and you should know how to use it. Watch some online videos that show you how if you’re not sure based on the directions on the package.
Electrical Fires
Electrical problems also cause many fires. You can’t necessarily stop these ones so easily since you may not know there’s a damaged wire until you smell smoke or see a wall go up in flames.
Hiring a professional when you need some electrical work remains the best thing you can do to avoid electrical fires. If you feel like you can do some DIY electrical work to save some money, that’s probably a mistake. You might tackle some simple DIY projects, but let the professionals handle major electrical or plumbing work.
Heating Devices
Heating devices round out our list. Maybe you have a room in your house that gets very cold in the winter if you have imperfect ductwork. Perhaps the entire house stays cold, even with the heat on. You may need a new furnace, but some people would rather purchase a space heater because it’s far less costly.
A space heater might do its job fine, but it can also start a fire. A frayed wire may do it, or the device might tip over onto a blanket. The next thing you know, you have an inferno.
Now that you know about these common fire causes keep your eyes open and avoid them.
