House fires break out every single day, causing damage and devastation everywhere they go and leaving you with a home that needs repair. The extent of repair required entirely depends on how destructive the house fire is. But before you need home repairs, you can take some essential steps to prevent house fires from starting!
Today’s blog is about the top causes of house fires and how you can prevent them. You might be surprised by what can start a fire. But those causes have easy preventative measures that can stop them from ever happening.
Let’s work together to prevent house fires from breaking out; keep reading to learn more.
Appliances and Equipment
If a device generates heat, it can start a fire. Examples include your kitchen stove, clothes dryer, or heater. Appliances that heat up over time can also start fires. Your computer is an excellent example, especially if you leave your laptop open on a couch or bed.
To avoid fires from appliances and equipment, your best bet is to prevent them from overheating. Only have your kitchen stove on while you’re actively cooking. Don’t run your clothes dryer for longer than necessary. And turn off your heater when you leave the room.
These simple steps won’t guarantee that a fire never starts, but they’ll significantly reduce the risk.
Electrical Systems and Devices
Any device that utilizes electrical power can start a fire. Overhead lighting equipment and bad electrical wiring or circuitry are major causes. Faulty electrical wiring is especially dangerous since it can start a fire inside your walls that quickly spreads.
You can do your part to prevent these kinds of fires by hiring a qualified electrician to wire your home. Non-licensed contractors who do electrical work can easily make mistakes, just from lack of experience. Those mistakes could be fatal for you and your family.
Chemicals and Gases
Natural or propane gas can easily start a fire. All it takes is a tiny leak and a spark for an entire home to go up in flames. Mixing different chemical cleaners together can also cause a massive fire.
The #1 way you can keep your home safe is by handling chemicals and gases outside of your home. That way, if a fire starts, it’s outside your home and can be extinguished before it reaches your home. (This is also a good time to call 911 if you can’t put the fire out quickly by yourself.)
Candles
Candles can easily start house fires. All it takes is knocking a candle over or putting it too close to a curtain. Simply put, anything that’s flammable that comes into contact with a candle can instantly start a fire that quickly spreads and consumes everything in its reach.
There are smart ways you can enjoy burning a candle in your home without starting a fire. First, keep your candle in the center of your table or nightstand, or wherever you might have it. Keeping it in the center will reduce the risk of it falling over.
Second, keep your candle far away from anything flammable, including tablecloths, curtains, or drapes. That means you shouldn’t use a tablecloth on the table where your candle is sitting.
We also recommend not placing candles on end tables near entryways if there are windows with curtains. As aesthetically pleasing as this can be, it’s an easy way for a fire to start.
Holiday Decorations
Christmas lights are probably the first thing that comes to mind here, and you’d be right. Those beautiful little bulbs make for a beautiful Christmas tree, but they’re also a fire hazard.
First, if your Christmas tree is real, the chances of a fire starting are greater. If the tree’s leaves get too dry and the lights get too hot, they can easily catch fire.
Second, you’ll want to be careful with how you set up your lights. It’s not a good idea to use a power strip for your lights. Instead, we recommend plugging them directly into a wall outlet. This will reduce your risk of fire.
Lightning
Lightning fires occur when high winds, dry trees, and lightning meet. Unfortunately, there’s not a ton you can do to prevent a lightning fire from happening unless you have superpowers.
What you can do is ensure that no trees are too close to your home. That way, if a lightning fire does strike, your home is less likely to go up in flames with the trees.
Children
Children can easily start house fires you might not even think of, which is why it’s important to keep flammable items/objects away from them. It’s also important to teach them about fire safety. It’s the same concept as not running out into the middle of the street. If they understand the danger, they’re less likely to engage.
BBQ Grill
Believe it or not, your BBQ grill can start a nasty fire if you’re not careful. If your grill is set up in a grassy area, it could catch fire. Gas leaks are another cause.
To prevent a fire while you’re grilling, keep your grill on a hard surface like the cement on your back porch. Keeping it away from grass prevents that kind of fire. And make sure to keep combustibles away from the open flames on your grill.
Black Diamond Restoration
We can all do our part to prevent house fires. And taking these preventative measures will certainly help! But there’s no guarantee that you’ll never have a fire. Despite our best intentions, sometimes the worst happens.
But if the worst does happen, we want you to know you’re not alone. Black Diamond Restoration is here for you. We specialize in fire damage restoration. Whatever the fire damaged, we can repair, restore, or replace so you can get back to your normal life.
Has a fire damaged your home? Contact Black Diamond Restoration to get started on your home restoration.
