Five of the Most Common Causes of Household Fires

To learn which areas may be vulnerable to fires in your home, this blog will explain five of the most common causes and how you can prevent them. 

While chip pans were once the leading cause of many cooking-related fires, high temperatures and burning oil are still prone to set alight. It only takes a second to cause a fire. When cooking, this task should have your full attention and most kitchen fires occur when people are distracted or even forget about what they were doing. You should also try to keep your preparation area as clear as you can, with combustible items such as oven gloves, tea towels and wooden utensils in a safe place. 

While candles are there to be enjoyed, they need to be placed in an appropriate location in the home. Be aware of items around the candle that could easily set alight, and purchasing a sturdy holder that can rest on a level surface will reduce the chances of them falling. And, of course, always blow them out before leaving the room or going to bed. 

Wires that are exposed, badly wired and plugs that are overloaded, are all at risk of catching fire. Appliances with exposed or frayed wires should be seen to as soon as possible. Typical warning signs that your wires may not be functioning as they should, include fuses regularly blowing, lights dim when you use another appliance and the need to disconnect one appliance to use another. 

To reduce the risk of house fires, smoking should be limited within the house especially in bedrooms. However, if you do decide to smoke inside, use large deep ashtrays to prevent cigarettes from falling out, and supervise smokers that are simultaneously drinking alcohol, may become drowsy, and therefore, forget to extinguish their cigarette properly. 

Any item that can cause a fire should always be properly monitored when children are around, as well as putting lighters and matches in hard to reach places. In most cases, when children cause fires, this is done unintentionally or out of curiosity when playing with these items. Never leave the kitchen unattended when cooking, and educate your children on the dangers of fires. 

Of course, other than taking the precautions we’ve mentioned, it’s essential that you have a good functioning fire alarm installed in your home. In Septemeber 2018, it was found that 38% of battery-operated fires alarms did not sound during a fire - a staggering result. ACE Fire Alarms, based in the South West, are the experts in fire and security solutions. From domestic alarms to specially designed systems for your business, our technicians will find the right product for you. For more information get in touch today.