Besides total destruction of your home, such as from a hurricane or tornado, a home fire is at the top of the list of devastation. A home fire can be limited to just one area, or it can also destroy your entire home.
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.
Small home fires are extremely difficult to deal with and repair. The best strategy is to avoid them at all costs. Knowing 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, https://www.nfpa.org/ 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 make you cautios the next time you cook dinnerl. While working in the kitchen, make sure open flames are kept to a minimum. Flammables like kitcehn towels and pot holders should be nowhere near open flames. Don’t leave anything cooking in a pot unattended, especially to take a phone call. People getting distracted while cooking leads to fires. And be sure to have the proper fire extinguisher handy. Make sure everyone who is capable of using one knows how to use it properly.
The NFPA indicates the second cause of home fires is from heating equipment. 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 system, whether installed or portable, is always in good shape and you follow manufacturer directions. Proper inspections and safety checks are a must. Make sure to keep flammable items away from portable heaters, and teach children to stay away from them.
Electrical issues are the third most common cause of house fires. 50,000 home electrical fires occur each year, mostly due to wiring, lighting, cords, and plug failure. Using proper equipment, such as extension cords, and making sure to inspect them for fraying or missing prongs is a great way to prevent home fires. 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 Tampa area fire damage restoration company, Accent American Inc. . After all, it pays to call a pro!
