Common Causes Of Home Fires And How Insurance Can Help – Is the possibility of a fire keeping you up at night? Learn more about fire hazards and the most common causes of house fires to be aware of
Not only are they incredibly dangerous to your health and safety, but they also have the potential to destroy everything you own. While most possessions can be replaced, sentimental items, family heirlooms, and lives are irreplaceable.
Common Causes Of Home Fires And How Insurance Can Help
The question is, what can you do to eliminate fire hazards in the home? To answer this question, we need to delve into the most common causes of house fires. Read on for everything you need to know.
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One of the most common fire hazards is cigarettes. Smoking can be a dangerous habit outside of what it does to your health. A discarded cigarette butt carelessly set aside has significant potential to start a fire.
Candles are also among some of the most common causes of house fires. People tend to turn them on and forget about them. Unfortunately, even the smallest candles placed in an unfortunate location can quickly cause a fire out of control.
Heating appliances and devices, such as space heaters and baseboard heaters, can cause fires when curtains and other flammable fabrics or objects are left too close. Heaters that require fuel sources such as kerosene, propane, and gas can be especially dangerous. They have the potential to explode and cause more damage.
Some of the most common fire hazards in the home can be found in the kitchen. Kitchen-related fires often occur when the resident leaves a hot stove or oven unattended. Kitchen fires can also be started if a pan of oil gets too hot, which can lead to spontaneous combustion (even without an open flame).
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Poor electrical wiring and malfunctioning electrical equipment are also common causes of house fires. Fortunately, you can perform a Portable Appliance Test (PAT) to prevent this from happening in your home. We also recommend having a professional electrician inspect your home, especially if you’ve recently moved.
Over the course of the Christmas season, a natural pine Christmas tree will dry out and become highly susceptible to combustion. At this point, a small flame or too much heat from an electrical source (space heater, candles, lights, etc.) can start a fire.
Preventing house fires means educating young children about fire safety. Children of all ages are curious and fire is an interesting element. Unfortunately, curious children playing with fire is one of the most common causes of house fires.
We recommend that you limit your child’s access to lighters of all kinds, including lighters, matches, and any type of spark maker.
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Now that you’ve learned about some of the most common causes of house fires, check out some of our articles on home ownership, parenting, and more! The experts have years of first-hand experience testing the products we recommend. Find out how we test and review. We may earn money when you shop through our links.
September is home to Fire Prevention Week, but anytime is a good time to review fire safety and prevention.
You have less than two minutes to get out of a burning house before it is engulfed in flames and smoke.¹ Because there is so little time to think or act in the moment, it is vital to prepare with education in home fire safety before you have to. face it in real life.
From wild weather to fire hazards, our newsletter offers tips to protect everything you (and everyone) you love. Register now!
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We hope you never have a house fire, but it could. More than 27% of reported fires occur in homes.¹ While the risk of a home fire depends on many factors, you can still learn a lot about risk from general statistics.
Not surprisingly, if something can get hot, it has the potential to start a fire. The kitchen is the most common cause of house fires, but there are many other culprits. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) there are five main causes of fires:
This comprehensive list of places where fires occur in the home can help you prevent potential fire hazards.
Home fires are more common during the fall and winter, with the highest number of fires occurring in December and January. This risk can increase when people light more candles, use fireplaces or heaters, or don’t water the Christmas tree.
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On a daily basis, fires seem to start when people are most likely to be at home. House fires tend to occur on Saturday or Sunday and between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m., when people are often at home.2
Smoking kills in more ways than you think. It is the leading cause of death from home fires, killing an average of 590 people per year.3 Overall, home fires are responsible for approximately 2,620 deaths each year and cause approximately $7.2 billion in property damage. property every year.4
Emergency escape plans save lives. Do you have one for your home? Knowing what to do in a fire can make getting out safely easier.
First, start by drawing a map of your home that includes windows, doors, and hallways. Identify the main emergency exits such as the front door and the back door. Find a primary emergency escape route and then contingency routes to follow if a path is blocked.
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Remember that in a real fire, flames and smoke can make corridors impassable, so it’s important to think carefully when planning an escape route. For example, if you have upstairs bedrooms, you can buy fire escapes that roll out to help people escape quickly.
Once you have your escape plan figured out, try a fire drill. Again, use different scenarios to achieve better preparation. To start, have everyone lie down in their beds to simulate a nighttime fire. Then practice escaping from common areas like the kitchen and living room.
Also, be aware that smoke can significantly reduce visibility. Try a fire drill in total darkness or with everyone’s eyes closed. Practice counting doors and detecting your whereabouts by touch instead of sight. The more practice you have in more scenarios, the better prepared everyone will be in a real emergency.
Remember that everything is replaceable except your life. If you don’t remember anything else from this guide, remember the four steps above. The following tips go a little deeper into what to do if there is a fire in your home.
Home Fire Safety Guide
Above all, keep calm. We know it’s difficult with the smoke, heat and smoke detector. Panic can make you forget the steps you need to survive, however.
If there is already a lot of smoke, stay as low as possible. The heat rises, so staying low keeps you cooler and keeps you under the smoke so you can breathe easier. If you can’t get under the smoke, cover your mouth with clothing or a towel and crawl on your hands and knees to the nearest exit.
In fires, smoke and heat are often more dangerous than flames. Home fires can cause areas near the ground to reach 100℉ and up to 600℉ near eye level. Asphyxiation from smoke and airborne toxins is the leading cause of fire deaths.¹
If you catch fire, the stop, drop and roll guidelines you learned in school still apply. Stop, drop to the ground and roll to put out the fire. Cool any burned skin by pouring water on it for three to five minutes.⁵
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If a fire starts in your home, call the fire department immediately while you assess whether you can put the fire out. Go with your gut. If there is too much smoke and too much heat, get to safety.
However, while professional help is on the way, you can try using a fire extinguisher to put out small flames. This will prevent the fire from getting worse, if not worse.
As soon as you realize there is a fire, alert everyone in the house by yelling “fire” several times as loud as you can.
The only non-substitutable items are people and pets. Resist the urge to grab your laptop or jewelry. Instead, take care of family members and pets first. Rank them in order of who needs the most help (for example, a baby or a family member with a disability).
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If there is enough time, you can gather important documents such as your driver’s license, birth certificate, marriage or divorce certificates, and photo albums. If there isn’t, forget it. Preserving life is much more important than saving electronics or personal effects.
Do not enter any room without touching the doorknobs first. If it’s hot, it’s probably not safe to go in. Opening doors can also increase airflow and speed up the rate of fire spread. Close the doors behind you when you leave.
Once everyone in your family is out of your house, stay out. Don’t go back inside for anything, it’s too dangerous! Firefighters will be able to go back inside to save whatever they can. That’s why they train and have equipment to protect themselves.
Also, remember to stay back. Explosions are rare, but can hurt you if you’re too close.
February Fire Tips — Frederick Mutual Insurance Company
Never take an elevator during a fire. You could get stuck
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