Accidental fires can happen easily and quickly. This can be an uncontrollable incident that can take out an entire home rather quickly. House fires are scary and can endanger everyone inside the home. even a small fire that is put out quickly can end up causing a lot of damage. You want to make sure you have a good insurance policy with the proper coverage to help mitigate the loss in case of a house fire. More importantly, you want to do everything you can daily to help prevent a house fire in the first place. House fires are much m, more common than we think. They can be started in several ways. House fires usually happen due to combustible materials or chemical reactions.

Top 5 Causes Of Residential Fires

Our homes are full of plenty of flammable materials. Identifying these things and areas in your home can help you lower your risk.

Cooking

Cooking fires are the most common house fires. Cooking figures cause about 50% of all residential fires. Most of the time these fires are caused by grease that is overheated on the stove or in the oven. Grease is very flammable and when it is hot enough it will reach a flash point. This means it will combust even without direct flame contact. When grease is ignited it is really difficult to smother the flames. 

De Pere Realtor Greg Dallaire offers this advice: “You can prevent this from happening by never leaving your kitchen or stove unattended while cooking, especially food that produces grease. Most kitchen fires start because the homeowner leaves something unattended. All of your portable kitchen appliances can also be a source for cooking fires. Things like toasters or electric griddles should never be left unattended. Small grease fires can sometimes be extinguished quickly if you turn off the heat and smother the fire with a lid or fire extinguisher.”

You also want to be cautious when drilling in the summer months. Again, you should never leave your grill unattended either. The best way to prevent this from happening is to be on top of what you are doing and pay attention. In the case of a fire, it is vital to always call emergency services and get to a safe place.

Heaters

Space heaters and baseboard heaters can be a fire hazard in your home, especially if they are near any fabric or other combustible material. Space heaters are the second leading cause of residential fires. Any heater that also required fuel is even more dangerous These can ignite or blow up if they are not properly handled. Electrical heaters typically cause house fires due to issues with their electrical wiring. You want to make sure you always follow the instructions regarding your heading device and inspect it to make sure it is still in good condition. Never leave your house with a heater running. Space heaters should not be in use when unsupervised.

Electrical Issues

Every home has electrical wires throughout. Various types of issues can occur in a home wiring and this can cause a fire. This can happen due to a short circuit or loose connection which will cause sparking that ignites your home’s building materials. These types of problems account for about 10% of all house fires and electrical fires are known to be extremely dangerous for anyone in the home. these most often happen while residents are sleeping and it does not allow a lot of time to evacuate. A home with a properly installed electrical system is very safe. This is just one of the many reasons why it is so important to have a full home inspection and maybe even a separate inspection by a licensed professional electrician.

Candles

Homeowners love to use candles in their homes, especially for the holidays. Candles can add to the atmosphere and bring a wonderful scent to your home. There are a lot of other ways to have decorative lighting without the use of candles and there are even flameless candles in today’s market. Candles are another big cause of residential fires because they can be left unattended and tipped over or placed too close to another combustible material.

Chemicals

Chemical fires are more common in industrial or commercial buildings than residential ones. These types of fires typically happen when vapor from gasoline or other petroleum liquids hit a flash point. You can also see this type of fire if there are any chemicals combined that produce enough heat to hit a flashpoint and ignite a flame. You can prevent this by storing all fuels and other chemicals in their proper containers and keeping them in locations that are protected from heat. A common source of this kind of fire is gasoline or other fuel used to power lawn equipment. Tips for safely storing gasoline:

• Use an approved container. The best storage container for gasoline is a red plastic container that is printed with labeling identifying it as an approved container.
• Fill the container no more than 95 percent full. This allows a space for vapors to expand without rupturing the container.
• Keep containers tightly sealed to prevent gas vapors from escaping and possibly reaching a source of flame or spark.
• Store the container at least 50 feet away from pilot lights and ignition sources, such as the heat, sparks, and flames from a water heater, space heater, or furnace. A detached garage or shed is an ideal spot to store these fuels. If no such space exists, then store fuel containers on the outside wall of an attached garage, as far as possible from living spaces.

In Conclusion

Homeownership is a dream for so many. When you achieve this goal, it comes with great responsibility to maintain and care for your assets.