Few things are more devastating than losing your home in a fire. Aside from property damage and potential fatalities as a result of the disaster, they can destroy the notion that you are safe in your own home. Smoke detectors have aided greatly in alerting people to fires before they become too serious. However, time and time again, fires are caused by the same household items and activities. By garnering an understanding of the most common causes of residential fires, precautions can be taken to alleviate the risks and save your home from catastrophe.
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Cooking
Cooking is the leading cause of house fires, accounting for 42% of all reported residential fires. Most of these fires start when food or cooking materials go up in flames, and generally the fires start when people have left food to cook without supervision. The biggest culprits for fire-starting in the kitchen are cooking ranges and any situation that involves frying food. This makes Thanksgiving and other major holidays a common time for setting kitchens ablaze.
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Christmas trees
On its own, a Christmas tree may not do significant damage. However, as it dries out, it becomes an excellent host for ignition and can quickly spread to an uncontrollable blaze. When a Christmas tree is the cause of the fire, the damage is considerably worse than fires caused by other fire-starting culprits, with more property damage, injury, and even death. The drier the tree, the more susceptible it is to causing a fire, and cranking up the heat in your home during the chilly weather will only dry the tree out more. That, coupled with the mere shorting out of the string of lights wrapped around the tree, can cause a deadly fire that will quickly consume your home. To help avoid catastrophe, keep the tree moist by watering it regularly or invest in a fake tree. You should also always unplug Christmas tree lights at night while asleep.
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Smoking
Residential fires caused by smokers account for nearly 1,000 fatalities per year. Sadly, one out of every four of those fatalities is not the smoker, but a family member (such as the smoker’s child), friend, or neighbor. Never fall asleep with a lit cigarette in hand. In the seconds it could have taken to mash out the cigarette, a humongous fire can start when a cigarette is accidentally dropped onto furniture or hot ashes. Home fires caused by cigarettes can be reduced dramatically if the smoker only smokes outside and makes sure his or her cigarette butts are completely out before being discarded.
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Candles
According to the National Candle Association, candles cause an estimated 18,000 house fires annually in the United States. Most of these fires can be attributed to negligence in proper candle usage. Candles are more widely used than they used to be, as they may be scented to make your home smell nice, used to set the mood, or used in celebratory occasions. The highest percentage of candle fires are started when a candle is left unattended; however, candle fires may also start when flammable materials are left too close to the flame or children play with them. By trimming the wick, you can help keep a candle flame at an appropriate size. You may also purchase battery-operated candles, which are considerably safer, but provide the same ambience as a regular candle that can be dangerous.
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Appliances
Home appliances cause about 150,000 fires per year. Additionally, 280 Americans perish in electrical fires per year. Many of these fires are caused by bad electrical wiring and overused outlets. Some people leave certain appliances plugged in at all times, such as toaster ovens or refrigerators. Frayed wiring can easily cause a fire. People may also leave on curling irons or hair straighteners by accident, which could cause a fire. Most disturbing, reports have shown that a great deal of these cases were caused by faulty appliances, not human error.
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Heating
Heating equipment is the leading cause for house fires during the winter time and the second most prevalent cause for fires year-round. Space heaters and wood stoves may be helpful in cutting down costs of your heating bill, but it’s these stand-alone heaters that can be a liability. Creosote, a flammable tar byproduct of wood smoke, builds up in chimneys or wood stoves when they are not regularly cleaned, creating a fire risk. People often misgauge the amount of physical space needed for a space heater; if it is crowded, it may ignite any nearby flammable materials. Likewise, many fires result from the incorrect installation of heater components. Central heating also occasionally starts home fires, but the incidents are much less frequent.
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Children playing with fire
Many house fires are prompted by children playing with matches, lighters, and candles, and cause hundreds of deaths and injuries annually. Between 2005 and 2009, 56,300 fires were reported to United States fire departments with children handling them as the cause. Forty-six percent of the children were under five years old. To help prevent fires started by small children, keep all matches and lighters stored in a place children can’t get to, such as an out-of-reach shelf in a cabinet. Children should also be educated on the importance of fire safety.
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