3 Common Causes of House Fires and How To Prevent Them

8/1/2022 (Permalink)

Avoid smoking in your home.

Three Ways To Combat the Most Common Types of House Fires

Knowledge is power when it comes to preventing a home fire. Identifying and addressing common fire causes is a simple way to reduce your risk of catastrophe. Here are three ways to combat the most common types of house fire in Jasper, SC.

1. Stop Smoking Already
One of the easiest — not to mention healthiest — ways to curb your fire risk is to avoid smoking in your home. According to a report from the National Fire Protection Agency, smoking materials accounted for over 17,000 home fires in 2014.
If you must smoke, take it outside, and be sure all materials are fully extinguished before you dispose of them.

2. Recognize That Your Kitchen Is Basically Home Fire Central
Year after year, cooking is the No. 1 cause of fire in the home. If you'd prefer not to follow Thanksgiving dinner with a call to your local fire cleaning and restoration company, take these precautions when you cook:

Don't cook when you're sleepy or intoxicated.
Turn off the stove if you have to leave the kitchen.
Don't leave your home if the oven is on.
Keep flammable materials far from the stovetop.
Set a timer to remind you when food is done.

3. Be Smart About Heating Your Home
Home heating efforts are the second leading cause of household fires, and we're not just talking about rustic but unreliable old wood-burning stoves. Here are five ways to keep safe when temperatures drop:

Keep flammable materials 3 feet away from heat sources such as the fireplace, furnace, or space heaters.
Keep kids and pets at least 3 feet away from fires and space heaters, too.
Regularly inspect your fireplace screen for holes that can allow sparks to escape.
Get your chimney and firebox cleaned annually.
Turn off space heaters before going to sleep

The best way to avoid a home fire is a two-pronged plan that pairs education with prevention. Identifying common causes of residential fire and actively avoiding or undoing them is a simple way to significantly lower your risk of fire in Jasper, SC.