Most home fires are unexpected because they’re started by the most ordinary, everyday tasks that can turn dangerous at a moment’s notice. Things like accidentally turning on a stove burner, forgetting to blow out a candle, or leaving on an electric space heater can turn a normal day into a nightmare. Below you’ll find some tips on how to prevent common household fires.
Cooking Fires
Cooking fires are the cause of 23% of home fires, and 9% of deaths. They can start with something as simple as a hand towel being placed too close to a stove burner, and can turn dangerous quicker than you think. To prevent devastating cooking fires, you should avoid ever leaving the kitchen while cooking something on the stove, and keep combustibles at least 3 feet away from the cooktop. This can also include curtains and wall hangings.
Heating Equipment
When it comes to heating equipment, space heaters and wood stoves are the most common culprits. They cause 15% of home fires, and 13% of deaths. Most heating equipment fires start when a space heater or wood stove is too close to combustibles while people are sleeping. You can prevent these fires by keeping space heaters at least 3 feet away from drapes, bedding, and other flammables, plug them into outlets and not extension cords, and don’t use space heaters while sleeping.
Electrical Equipment
Overloaded extension cords and bad connections can melt electrical wire and start fires in your home, causing 9% of home fires and 10% of deaths. To prevent fires caused by electrical equipment, you can replace extension cords that are undersized or frayed, never run extension cords under rugs, call an electrician to help with frequently tripping circuit breakers, replace undersized cords with larger-gauge ones or plug all appliances directly into outlets. Other causes can be attributed to miscellaneous incidents caused by negligence of the homeowner or random accidents.
If you’ve suffered from a fire in your home, the last thing you want to worry about is how you’re going to fix everything and make it look new again. That’s where Water Damage Recovery comes in. Our team of trained professionals knows how hard it can be to come back from a fire in your home, which is why it’s so important to us to give you the best service possible. Give us a call today at 510-351-7510, or visit our website to learn more about our service.
