What Are the Different Causes of House Fires?

5/28/2021 (Permalink)

fire damage inside Tallahassee kitchen

What Are the Different Causes of House Fires?

There are several common causes of house fires. Our informative guide right here has the key things you need to understand.

In 2019, there were 1,291,500 fires alone. With so many fires occurring each year, it's no wonder you're here to find out what the most common causes of fire are.

The first step to preventing and preparing yourself for an emergency is to educate yourself about what house fire causes there are. Continue reading on to find out everything you need to know.

Cooking In the Kitchen

Many of us have found ourselves in a situation where we're cooking and then become distracted by the tv or a child running around. Unfortunately, for some people, the moment of distraction is enough to cause a fire to happen.

When you're in the kitchen cooking, you need to devote all your attention to what you're doing. Once you're done cooking your meal, you need to take the time to make sure that all appliances have been turned off and moved so that they can't be knocked over.

Turning off the kitchen appliances will also protect you and others when they come into the kitchen to do dishes or move the pots and pans from their original location.

Frayed Electrical Cords

It's important that once your electrical appliances that have cords become frayed, you either replace them or replace the appliance. The reason for this is frayed cords can cause sparks to fly, leading to an electrical fire.

It would help if you took some time to check your cords every now and then to ensure that there is nothing left lying around that can start a house fire. Another aspect that should be considered when it comes to electrical cords is faulty wiring.

You might not know that your home has faulty or old wiring, but there are some signs that you might notice from time to time. If one appliance doesn't work as efficiently when running another appliance, that might be a sign of faulty wiring.

Another sign of faulty wiring is a fuse blowing or shorting out when you turn it on or use it.

Smoking In the Home

14 out of every 100 people in the world smoke cigarettes. The issue with smoking cigarettes is everyone doesn't always put the cigarette out completely before leaving a room.

Cigarettes that aren't put out completely can easily start a fire. The way this happens is the lit ash could fall on furniture, clothing, or other flammable materials nearby, sparking a flame. 

A fire caused by a cigarette butt is responsible for upwards of 25% of fatalities caused by house fires each year. 

Candles

Candles make your home smell like the inside of a bakery or fresh linen, but were you aware that they can cause fires as well. Sometimes people:

• Place the candle close to flammable objects
• Leave candles burning too long
• Leave the home without blowing the candle out

We aren't saying that you have to stop lighting your candles, but you need to ensure that they aren't near objects that can be caught on fire when you're using them. You also need to take time to blow the candles out when you're about to leave home.

If a candle catches fire in your home, it can cause quick and significant fire damage.

Small Children

Children are very curious about everything from the way the sink works to what causes the bright orange flame on top of a candle. Another common house fire cause is small children being curious.

This could mean the child accidentally turns over a candle that is lit or plays with some matches. The best way to minimize the risk of a fire starting in your home is to keep things that can light a fire or are lit out of reach of children.

You should always teach your children the importance of not touching things that are lit or playing with matches and lighters.

How to Prevent Fires in Your Home

The first thing you need to do to prevent a fire in your home is to prepare yourself and your family in case of an emergency. When your family knows the plan in place, it can help protect everyone and ensure that everyone knows what action to take should the fire happen.

Another way to take necessary steps to prevent fires is to check the smoke detectors in your home regularly. Your smoke detectors will be the first thing to alert you if there is smoke or other danger in your home that you're not aware of.

If the smoke detectors start blinking, that's a sign that you need to take some time to change the batteries. There are several other things that you can do to prevent a fire, but we've mentioned those things above.

You also need to take the time to keep your pets in areas where they can't come in contact with flammable objects or accidentally knock them over while playing.

Top Causes of House Fires

There are several causes of house fires that you might not have known about. Some of the most obvious causes of fires is the curious nature of small children as well as faulty wiring in your home that you might not have been aware of.

If you recently experienced a fire in your home and there was damage caused, the next thing you need to do is find someone to help with the damage that occurred. If you're ready to take that step, contact SERVPRO of Central Tennessee.

Not only do we specialize in fire damage, but we also can provide assistance when it comes to storm and water damage.