Top 5 Causes of House Fires & How To Avoid Them

8/4/2023 (Permalink)

"Mmm," you moan as the smell of barbeque brushes your nostrils.  Your mouth begins to water, your stomach begins to growl, a warm shiver tickles your spine.  Your body begs for a slice of whatever is cooking in the kitchen, until, all of a sudden, you realize that that's not food at all.  It's your house.  Your house is on fire.

Don't you just hate when that happens! You think you're about to get a hot meal, but instead, you get an insurance claim.  Alright, alright, I'm kidding.  I'm hoping you can tell the difference between Risky's Bar-B-Q, and a risky BBQ (that’s a little pun for y'all around Parker County).

On a serious note, house fires can be seriously detrimental.  They endanger you, your family, your pets, and your assets.  Although there is no sure way to completely prevent sparks from flying, there are some things that should be kept in mind and paid attention to. Here are the five most common causes of house fires and how you can do your best to avoid them.

• Cooking is the cause of a whopping forty-nine percent of residential fires.  Now that's not giving you permission to eat out every day, but it is encouragement to watch what you put on your stove.  More often than not, these fires are caused by grease that gets overheated.  Grease is an incredibly flammable substance once it reaches about six-hundred degrees Fahrenheit.  When it reaches this point, it can combust spontaneously, even without direct flame contact.
• Toasters and ovens can also start fires if not cleaned properly.  Oils and crumbs that sit at the bottom of these machines can catch fire when exposed to extreme heat, like they are.
• How do you prevent these things from causing a fire?  Leaving anything unattended on your stove is not a good place to start, especially if you're cooking something in oil or grease.  Also, make sure to clean your cooking equipment often to ensure that there are no crumbs or oils trapped at the bottom of them.
• The second most common cause of house fires are heating appliances such as space heaters.  These kinds of fires are less common than ones caused by cooking, causing only twelve percent of residential fires, but can be equally as detrimental.  Heaters that are fueled by kerosine are especially dangerous, as the fuel is extremely flammable.  Electric heaters can also be dangerous if the electrical wires short out, causing sparks.
• How to avoid fires caused by heating appliances: simply unplug or turn off your heater when nobody is around to supervise it.  Not allowing the heater to overheat will also contribute to the act of avoiding flames.
• As stated above, electrical shortages can create sparks, causing fires.  Generally, shortages don't happen "just because", they are usually caused by faulty wiring or by having too many things plugged in at once.  Although only ten percent of residential fires are caused by electrical shortages, it is still important to take what preventative measures you can. 
• Avoiding electrical shortages is slightly more difficult than avoiding the fire starters previously discussed.  Having an electrician inspect your home or business is one of the safest ways to ensure that you aren't at risk especially if you live in an older home.  
• If you're a smoker, chances are you've heard the "why smoking is bad for you" speech a million times over.  I'm not here to shame or commend your life choices, but, when you put your cigarette in the ashtray, check to see if there are any red ashes left.  Cigarette ashes only cause about five percent of house fires, but are the cause of about twenty-three percent of fire deaths.  This is because this fire most often starts while the resident is asleep.
• How to prevent fire caused by cigarettes: ensure that your cigarette is fully put out when placed in the ashtray.
• The fifth most common fire starter in the home is the beloved candle.  Didn't think Bath and Body Works could cause so much trouble huh?  Truthfully, this is another one of those situations where the open flame is fine, as long as somebody is supervising it.  Most fires caused by candles happen when the resident has left the home or when a flammable object, such as paper, is left within reach of the flame.
• The best way to prevent fire caused by candles is to remove flammable objects from the surrounding area, as well as blowing the candle out when planning to leave it unsupervised.

Overall, house fires aren't completely preventable, but they are avoidable.  By watching what you do, keeping things tidy, and not leaving open flames unattended, you can save yourself a lot of money and frustration.

If for some reason you do experience the rage caused by fire damage, SERVPRO of Parker and Northeast Hood Counties is more than willing to help!  We are open 24/7/365 and are always ready to answer your calls.  You can contact us at 817-596-8714