A house fire is a traumatic event for any family. Beyond the danger to your family, it can cause extensive damage to your house and personal goods. But, in most cases, with the proper precautions, these fires could be prevented. So, we’re going to give you some tips to help you prevent a fire in your home.
Kitchens
Kitchens are the most likely location in your house for a fire to start, and the most likely way for these fires to start is by not paying proper attention to your cooking or not taking adequate care when using grease or oils.
Make sure you always keep an eye on what you are cooking. You should never leave the house while you are cooking something. You can never be totally sure when you’ll get back, and you won’t be there to take care of any issues that may arise. It’s not even a good idea to nap or do other chores while cooking. This even applies to slow cookers, which many people don’t realize can also cause fires.
Allowing grease to get too hot can cause fire, so it’s important to avoid this. Also, it’s essential to never leave something cooking in oil unattended, even for a little bit. Grease fires can spread very quickly. If a grease fire does start, carefully put a lid on the pan and turn the heat off. Don’t use baking soda to try and put the fire out, as it could flare and burn you and also cause the fire to spread.
Dryers
Dryers are also a very common cause of fires. These fires are typically caused by not properly maintaining or cleaning the dryers. Although storing clothing or combustible materials around the dryers are also common causes of fires, especially if the dryer is a gas dryer. The best thing you can do to avoid a dryer fire is to clean the filter or lint trap every time you use the dryer. Additionally, you should clean the exhaust hose once a year. If you find the lint cannot be adequately cleaned from the exhaust hose, you should replace it. Also, always keep combustible materials safely away from your dryer or any other heat-producing appliance.
Wiring
Although most people are familiar with fires being caused by wiring inside walls, more fires are actually caused by the wiring attached to their appliances. If too many appliances are using one outlet, this can cause the wiring to overheat and cause a fire. Therefore, you should use only one extension cord for any one outlet. Also, make sure you use the correct size extension cord for the appliance it is being used with, and never use an appliance that is malfunctioning.
Candles
Candles are also a significant fire hazard, and a lot of these fires start in the bedroom. Candles are easy to tip over and then catch nearby items on fire. It’s always best to use a candle holder that is stable and take care when placing candles in glass containers. These containers can overheat and then break, causing fire to spread. Although, you should still never leave a candle unattended or leave it to remain burning when you are going to sleep. Also, always be sure there are no flammable objects near the candle.
Smoking
Smoking is another cause of fires, and these fires are often quite deadly since they frequently start when someone falls asleep while they are smoking. The cigarette, pipe, or cigar then causes a nearby item to catch on fire, and then the fire spreads. This can be avoided by making sure to extinguish any smoking item. Then, always wet the ashes in an ashtray before disposing of them. Additionally, it is best to avoid smoking in bed at all, and better yet, only smoke outside.
Contact Us
For professional fire remediation, contact ABH Services Inc. Our fire remediation professionals can restore your home or business to pre-loss condition and leave it safe to return to. Call us at (781) 941-2422 and connect with us on Facebook.