Leading Causes of Home Fires

5/25/2021 (Permalink)

Prevent home fires.

A fire can be devastating to the people involved. This is why it is important to know and understand the most common causes of a home fire. Knowing the causes can help stop it from happening to you.

Kitchen and Cooking Fires

Accidents in the kitchen cause the majority of household fires in the United States. Some things that happen are:

• Flammable items are left near flame, heat or burners
  
• Frying with oil
  
• Setting cooking temperatures too high
  
• Cooking while tired or otherwise impaired
  

Fortunately, most of the kitchen fire causes are preventable with a bit of caution.

Home Heating and Cooling Fires

Home heating and cooling is the second most common cause of a household fire. In this case, it is not always preventable. It is a good idea to have your heating and cooling system inspected at least once per year to help offset the danger.

Intentional Fires

The third leading cause of a home fire is intentional. When most people think of intentional fires, they immediately think of arsonists. This is not always the case. For insurance and remediation companies in Colorado Springs, CO, this can mean using a heat source such as a space heater or stove for something that was not intended, such as using a microwave to dry clothing.

Cigarette Fires

Surprisingly cigarette fires, rate fairly high on this list. These are fires caused by cigarettes or other smoking tools and are usually relatively localized so they don't require a lot of fire cleaning. A bit of preventative care will help you avoid this type of fire.

Washing Machines and Dryer Fires

Washing machines and dryers cause a lot of problems. When it comes to washing machines, the combination of faulty wiring and water can start a fire. In the case of dryers, the leading cause of the fire is the combination of lint and heat. Dryer lint is extremely flammable.

In most cases, the home fire is preventable. Knowing the leading causes helps. Make sure that you are doing everything you can to make sure it doesn't happen to you.