House fires are unfortunately extreme and can happen at any time. Most of the time, they are out of your control. With that knowledge, it’s important to plan ahead of time so that you aren’t caught off guard if it happens to you. One great way to prepare is to be aware of which items or actions are most likely to ignite a fire.
While it is crucial to know what starts fires, it’s also great to know how to prevent them. The following will discuss each cause and how to prevent them from happening to you.
The most common reason by far for fires in the home comes from cooking. Cooking can go wrong for a large number of reasons and starting fires is the most dangerous. Grease fires are typically the reason that these large house fires begin. These types of fires usually begin because cooking oil becomes too hot, bursting into flames. Many people do not know that grease fires are extremely different from regular ones and cannot be put out with water. If water is used to put them out, they will burst into much larger flames, becoming out of hand.
When putting out a grease fire, there are a few simple steps to take to ensure they do not become larger. Turn off the stove, but do not transfer the burning pot anywhere. Cover the pot with a metal lid to snuff out the flames. If the fire is small, baking soda can be used to smother the fire. Fire extinguishers can also be used on these types of fires. Be sure that as soon as the fire becomes too much to handle, escape and call 9-1-1 immediately.
Malfunctions with electricity can be extremely dangerous and can lead to fires in the home. Electrical fires are another leading cause of house fires, causing over 500 deaths per year, according to Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). The best way to avoid this from happening to you is to have your electrical systems checked regularly. Inspections will ensure that everything is up to code and safe.
In addition to malfunctions, forgetting to turn off certain electronics can cause fires in the home, particularly those that emit heat. Items such as space heaters, hair straighteners, and clothing irons are among those that people commonly forget to turn off, causing fires. Even if you remember to turn them off, it’s important to remember spatial requirements. A huge cause of fires is keeping space heaters too close to curtains or other fabrics, making them catch fire.
Open fires are things that burn in your home often such as smoking and candles. Both of these items are huge ignitors of fires and are easily forgotten after being lit or not properly put out. Some people even accidentally fall asleep while smoking, causing lit materials to fall off the cigarette and into the carpet or curtains. It’s important to take smoking outdoors to avoid accidentally starting a fire indoors. When it comes to candles, they are often forgotten when leaving the home. Like cigarettes, candles should never be left unattended or near flammable objects. Always extinguish them when leaving the room.
If a fire happens to break out in your home, it can be devastating to think about the damage done. Seeing your home go through a fire is difficult enough and adding a cleanup on top of that can just add extra stress that you do not need to put yourself through. To begin the process of fire damage cleanup, Sierra Restoration can help you with any advice and resources that you need to ensure that you get a job well done. Our professionals will do all that they can to bring your home back to its original state to the best of their ability by checking the integrity of your home, removing and cleaning soot and debris, and rebuilding it.
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