19 November 2019

Fire Safety 101: How to Avoid the Top Causes of Home Fires

A home fire is a devastating emergency that can quickly reduce all of your possession to ashes along with your home. Fire safety should be a priority for everyone, whether you rent or own, in order to avoid the loss of property and potentially lives in the event of a fire. In order to protect your home from fires, it helps to know the most common causes of fires and how to reduce the risk of each.

5. Candles
Using candles around your home is a lovely way to create ambiance. Whether you're using candles for the calming feeling their gentle glow provides, the pleasant smells of a scented candle or for the romantic ties to a candle on a table set for two, they are useful and enjoyable additions to your home decor. When left burning without proper observation or in unsafe spaces, however, they are a hazard. You should never light your candles around other flammable items, and should always blow them out when leaving the room.

4. Electrical Problems
One of the biggest unseen risks in a home is electrical wiring problems. While some electrical fires come about as a result of the negligent behavior of the homeowners, such as overloading a socket and triggering a shirt and fire, others come down to errors in the installation of the home's wiring or unseen damage like animals chewing on wires in the walls. You should always leave all home wiring to professionals, and if you see an outlet or other electrical fixture which is behaving oddly or sparking, turn off the breaker to it and call an electrician to check it out.

3. Smoking in the Home
While the longterm health risks associated with smoking are now well known, that is not the only concern you should have if you or someone in your home is a smoker, as cigarettes are actually a leading cause of home fires. You should never smoke in bed or when you are tired as there is a risk of falling asleep with a lit butt, causing it to drop and start a fire. Similarly, it is important to ensure that all cigarettes are fully extinguished when you finish smoking to prevent any accidental fires.

2. Home Heating Systems
A home heating system is a must-have to keep your home warm and safe in the winter, but it's important that you take care of your system to avoid housefires. Overtaxed units and unclean units present a fire hazard, which is why it is important to keep your vents and ducts clean. You should also schedule regular maintenance for your heating equipment to have a professional out to your house to ensure that everything is operating as it should be to minimize the risk of a home fire.

1. Cooking Mishaps
The kitchen is the number one source of home fires. While you can't beat a delicious home-cooked meal, if you aren't careful you can come to regret it. Always be sure that anything flammable is safely away from any hot surfaces, and turn off all ovens and burners when you are done cooking to avoid a fire starting when they are left unattended.


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