The Main Causes of House Fires

12/27/2021 (Permalink)

House fires are dangerous and unpredictable! They seemingly start out of nowhere, spread quickly, and cause enormous destruction.

You would think we would go to great lengths to avoid a fire, and yet even though we have had decades of ad and awareness campaigns, more than 25% of all fires are house fires.

Statistics show us the top causes of home fires. Let’s reduce that number through awareness and education:

Cooking. This is the leading cause of home fires! Around half of all home fires begin in the kitchen, and the No. 1 reason is unattended cooking. Do you want to reduce your risk of fire? Never leave the kitchen unattended while cooking.

Heating equipment. About 14% of all home fires across the country are initiated by heating equipment. Portable space heaters are the biggest culprit when it comes to fires started from heating equipment, with flammable items placed too close to the heat source being the leading reason.

Electrical fires. We have made great strides in this area of fire safety with updated electrical codes designed to reduce the risk of fire from electricity. However, faulty wiring, the overloading of circuits and the increased usage of electricity are all factors that contribute to electrical fires in the home. Another top cause is the use of faulty outlets or frayed or damaged appliance and extension cords.

Intentional fires. Astonishingly, there are more than 28,000 intentional home fires set each year. Intentional is a fancy word for arson! When we say intentional, we mean fires begun on purpose, with the intention of setting a home ablaze, as opposed to fires that were started for legitimate reasons and got out of hand.

Smoking materials. Despite only being responsible for 5% of home fire occurrences, fires started by smoking materials are the top cause of civilian fire deaths. When people fall asleep while smoking, they often drop the cigarette, and that’s what starts the fire. Because they are asleep, they are more susceptible to the fumes and often they don’t wake up or if they do, it’s too late.

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.