Ways To Prevent Fire At Home
House fires don’t just happen – people and their actions cause them. So what causes house fires? The following, in order of most common: smoking, heating (space heaters especially), cooking, electrical problems (overloaded circuits, faulty wiring), flammable liquids, lightning, arson.
Believe it or not, that’s evidence that your home is at risk for fire! So what can you do for fire mitigation? Read on to learn about six different things.
6 Things To Do To Prevent A Fire At Home
1. Keep Cigarettes Out of Reach
Smoking causes over 16% of the house fires in the US every year, and cigarettes are responsible for half of these. If you smoke inside the house, make sure your cigarette is completely out before putting it in an ashtray or a non-combustible container.
2. Keep Your House Safe from Fireplace Heaters
Space heaters cause over 90% of the heating fires in the US, and over 100 people every year lose their lives from these fires. Keep your space heater away from flammable objects, and make sure it’s inspected once a year to ensure it’s in good working order.
3. Don’t Leave Food Cooking Unattended
Did you know that cooking causes just under 10% of all home fires? Food left unattended on the stove or in the oven can ignite and cause a fire if you aren’t there to quickly turn off the heat.
4. Keep Your Electrical Wiring Safe
Electrical problems cause over 15% of fires in the US, and most electrical-related house fires happen around faulty wiring and overloaded circuits. Make sure you have a professional inspect your wiring once a year to identify potential problems.
5. Never Use Your Oven as A Container
Did you know that flammable liquids cause just under 3% of house fires each year? These liquids can ignite and spread quickly, so never use your oven as a container for these things – it’s simply not fire-safe.
6. Protect Your House from Lightning
Lights strike cause just under 2% of house fires each year, and thunderstorms are often a precursor to these strikes. Have a professional install a lightning rod on your roof to protect your house from potential strikes.
What To Do If You DO Have A Fire In Your Home
If you ever have a fire in your home, the first thing to do is to contain it – don’t try to fight it yourself. Call 911 and get everyone out of the house as quickly as possible. If you can’t put it out yourself, leave it for the professionals – they know what they’re doing!
Then, you should get a professional fire mitigation and restoration team to mitigate the losses and do a structural damage check-up to ensure the structure doesn’t collapse.
For damage restoration in Washington, contact RESTORx Of Washington. We understand how traumatic and difficult having a fire at your house can be, so we are available 24/7 for any emergencies. Contact us today for a free estimate to get your property back to what it was before the disaster.
