Home Fires and Their Causes | SERVPRO® of Cudahy/St. Francis

1/9/2022 (Permalink)

Regardless of the cause, SERVPRO of Cudahy/St. Francis are here for you if your home is affected by fire.

You would imagine homeowners would go to any lengths to protect their home from a potentially devastating fire. With all that’s invested in one’s home, it only makes sense.

Yet despite decades of awareness campaigns and advancements in technology aimed at fire prevention, a quarter of all reported fires still start at home.

How are these fires continuing to happen, and what should we be doing to make them less likely? Let’s look at the most common causes to shed some light on where we may still be lacking in fire safety at home.

Cooking. The kitchen is far and away the most common area for fires to begin in the house, and the leading reason? Unattended cooking. Yep, the top cause of all fires at home is people walking away from the stove or grill, leaving oils or food items to overheat and spark a fire. The single greatest thing you can do to prevent a fire at home is to pay attention while you’re playing chef.

Heating equipment. Heaters, especially portable space heaters, are known for causing fires, and they start 14% of home blazes. They tip over, overheat or cause short circuits, or they simply cause nearby objects or materials to combust.

Electrical fires. How old is your home? The age of your home is directly proportional to your risk of electrical fire. As wiring ages it’s more likely to develop problems or encounter shorts or overloads, and older homes are not as well-equipped to handle the sheer amount of electricity used by modern devices and families.

Intentional fires. An unthinkable 28,000 intentional home fires are lit each year in the United States. Whatever the reasons may be, these fires are responsible for 8% of all home fires and 14% of all home fire casualties.

Smoking materials. Cigarettes, cigars and even vape pens can cause combustion at home, especially if someone is smoking in bed as he or she falls asleep. Sadly, though this is the least common cause of home fires, it is the most likely cause of casualties from home fires.

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