Preventing House Fires

2/6/2020 (Permalink)

We all know fires can be very dangerous and can start very easily. Don’t forget to take precautions and learn about where and how a fire can simply start in your home. If you do need fire restoration, call the professionals at SERVPRO of DeRidder, Leesville & Vinton. 

Cooking

Cooking is always the number one cause of house fires in the United States. These cooking fires always increase during the major holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Take these precautions to prevent cooking fires of any sort!

• Always stay near your grill, oven, or stovetop when in use, never leave these unattended.
• Make sure you have functional smoke detectors in or near your kitchen.
• Thoroughly clean cooking surfaces before and after food preparation.

Turn off your grill, oven, or stove as soon as you are done using it.

Dryers

A very typical fire is started by something we all have in our homes. A clothes dryer. You wouldn’t think that this would be something to cause a hazardous fire in your home, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates more than 15,000 fires are caused by dryers. Lint is created by cycling loads upon loads of wet clothes and fabrics into the dryer. After so many loads, the lint will start filling up the dryer’s lint trap. The dryer doesn’t stop when the lint trap is full and keeps working like it should. Then, the temperature of the heat keeps rising and since the dryer’s lint trap hasn’t been changed, the lint automatically becomes the perfect fuel to start a dryer fire. Some of these fires have led to serious injury and even death. Don’t forget to remove all lint from the dryer’s lint trap before and after each load you put into the dryer to prevent any type of dryer fire. Never leave the dryer unattended. It’s best if you remove debris from the dryer’s hose that connects the dryer to the vent at least a couple times each year.

Electric Fires

As frayed wires and overloaded circuits are hazardous, this is what makes electric fires very common. These types of fires can be very easily prevented if you follow these helpful tips:

• Inspect all cords and wires to make sure they are not frayed or worn out.
• Do not daisy chain power strips.
• Do not overload a single outlet with too many plugs.
• Do not use extension cords as a permanent solution.
• Hire an electrician to inspect your outlets and electrical system.
• Use surge protectors to help prevent power surges.

In the unfortunate event of a fire contact your local restoration professionals, SERVPRO of DeRidder, Leesville & Vinton. We have the expertise and tools necessary to help prevent additional smoke and fire damage, safely cleanup the aftermath, and restore your property.