Any type of disaster in your home is devastating. Whether a flooded house, strong wind that tears off part of your roof, a broken pipe spewing water all over the place, the resulting damage and cost of repair and remediation can be very costly.
Besides total destruction of your home, such as from a hurricane or tornado, a house fire is at the top of the list of devastation. A house fire can be limited to just one area, or it can also destroy your entire home.
Even a small house fire is extremely difficult to deal with and repair. The best strategy is to avoid them at all costs and understanding what causes most fires in the home is the first step. If you know what is most dangerous, you can plan to avoid dangerous situations.
In the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association, the #1 cause of a house fire is cooking. It is the most common and includes personal injury as well. Cooking represents nearly half of all home fires, and 20 percent of home fire deaths. This might give you a sobering pause the next time you cook up a big meal. When you plan to work in the kitchen, make sure open flames are kept to a minimum and flammables are nowhere near them. Don’t leave anything cooking in a pot unattended. And be sure to have the proper fire extinguisher handy.
The NFPA indicates the second cause of home fires is from your heating system. Trying to stay warm in colder weather accounted for nearly 50,000 fires annually during the period of 2014-2018. Be sure that your heating equipment, whether installed or portable, is always in good shape and you follow manufacturer directions. Proper inspections and safety checks are a must.
The third most common cause of house fires is due to electrical issues. Expert sources report close to 50,000 home electrical fires occur each year, mostly due to wiring, lighting, cords, and plug failure. Simply inspecting, replacing, and using proper equipment could mean avoiding a dangerous fire. Too many of us use shortcuts (improper extension cords, electrical tape to fix a cut in a cord, etc.) when using electricity.
Those are the top three causes of house fires. There are many more. Be aware of them and be smart. Prevent them from happening in the first place. But if the unthinkable does happen, do the right thing to fix it all. Call your favorite fire damage restoration company. After all, it pays to call a pro!
