What Causes House Fires? | SERVPRO® of Cedar Mill/Oak Hills

11/8/2021 (Permalink)

Regardless of the cause, SERVPRO of Cedar Mill/Oak Hills are here for you if your home is affected by fire.

Your home is your most prized possession, as it should be! You have worked hard to buy your home and the items inside. So, why do we become so careless in everyday routines?

Safety shouldn’t take a backseat, but despite many ad campaigns and awareness advertisements, more than a quarter of all reported fires still occur in the home.

So, we want to provide you with a refresher on fire safety in your home! As you settle in for the evening, review these top causes of house fires and learn what you can do to help prevent them.

Cooking. As you might suspect, this is one of the top causes of house fires and injuries. Almost half of all house fires begin in the kitchen from unattended cooking. Because we all get busy, and life is hectic, we can tend to overlook how risky cooking actually can be. That’s why it’s important to always stay with any food that you are preparing…or call for delivery!

Heating equipment. This is the second most common cause of house fires. It can come from a combination of equipment malfunctions, mishaps and flammable materials placed too close. The main culprit is those small, convenient, space heaters. If you decide to use these, ensure that you keep them out of the way of high-traffic areas and away from anything flammable.

Electrical fires. Faulty wiring or an overload of a circuit is typically the reason for this kind of fire. Older homes can’t keep up with the high usage of electricity, so it’s important to have the electrical system in an older house inspected regularly and upgraded as necessary.

Intentional fires. As crazy as it may sound, there are more than 28,000 intentional home fires started every year. These are fires that are set on purpose with the intention of destruction, not fires set for legitimate reasons that get out of control.

Smoking materials. Smoking materials cause less than 5% of fires, but are the most common contributor to fire deaths. These deaths commonly result when someone falls asleep while smoking.

Regardless of the cause, SERVPRO is here for you if your home is affected by fire. Contact the SERVPRO of Cedar Mill/Oak Hills team today to see how we can help.