What Are the Common Causes of House Fires?

In 2020, there were a whopping 356,500 house fires in the United States. 

The cost of a home fire is enormous, even for those with insurance. Knowing what the main causes of fires are can help you prepare and increase your chance of preventing fires in your home. 

Keep reading to learn more about the most common fire causes. 

Cooking

Some of the biggest home fires start in the kitchen. People get distracted and step away, leaving something on the stove or in the oven. When there's any kind of oil or grease, it can heat up and eventually catches alight. 

Even if you realize the fire has started, you might not have the means to put it out. A lot of people try to spray water on the fire, but grease needs to be smothered to be put out. Even if you know this, you might not know how to smother it properly or get burnt in the process. 

Not knowing how to put out the fire means it has more time to get out of hand. Ideally, you should never leave food unattended while the stove or oven is on. It's also best to make sure you've got a fire alarm or an extinguisher nearby so you can put out any fires quickly. 

Heating Equipment

Leaving heating equipment on to warm up your home is a huge risk of a fire. Electrical heating equipment like space heaters can start fires when they're left too close to flammable objects. 

Even natural heating equipment like fireplaces can cause problems. Even with a grate to separate the flames from the room, sparks can get out and land on rugs or furniture. 

It's best to keep an eye on anything that has a flame or is heating something up. This includes candles too! Left unattended, heating equipment can cause fires and you might not notice until it's too late. 

If you are regularly leaving heating equipment out to warm up rooms, fire alarms are vital for fire prevention. 

Faulty Wiring

As electrical wiring gets older, it can become faulty. This means wires can become loose, wear through, and even start sparking. 

This is especially dangerous because these fires can start in your walls or around your plugs, so you don't see them until it's too late. And even once you see them, they're difficult to put out. 

Annual inspections of your home's wiring are the best way to avoid this. 

Smoking

Not only is smoking bad for you, but it poses a serious fire hazard. Stray sparks from lighters, cigarettes that aren't properly put out, and excess ash all lead to house fires. 

If you smoke or have guests who smoke, always do it outside. Use ashtrays and make sure cigarettes are put out properly and disposed of safely. 

Avoiding House Fires

Now that you know how house fires start, you can put steps in place to avoid them. 

There's only so much you can do to avoid fires, but the better prepared you are, the better your chance of minimal damage. 

Start your fire safety journey with a free estimate! Get your home protected from fires today.