With aggravated cooling bills and unbearable heat, summer makes a significant contribution to house fires. The number of house fires cases reported in U.S. increased manifolds during the summer season. They are a threat to human life and can also drain your money. Fire damage restoration is way too costly. And then dealing with insurance and all those related things just mess up with your mind. You’re lucky if you’ve never faced a situation like that. Keep reading this if you want to make sure you stay the “lucky” one.
Understand the causes of house fires
To avoid it, you must know how it is caused. We checked the NFPA website for leading causes of house fires and here’s what we found:
- Household appliances like Washing machines, air conditioners, oven and more.
- Candles
- Children playing with fire
- Natural gas and LPG
- Electrical fire
- Fireworks
- Holiday decor equipment like Christmas lights and decorations
- Household products like mattresses and upholstered furniture
- Lightning
- Smoking materials like cigarette
How to avoid house fires this summer?
1. Be careful while cooking:
Don’t leave the kitchen while you’re cooking. Grab a book and read while waiting for your cake to bake. Clean the shelves while the pasta is boiling. Just find a way to pass the time in the kitchen. A lot of house fires happen because someone forgot to turn off the heat and let the food burn until it causes everything around to catch fire. Just don’t be that someone.
2. Use candles safely:
Why do you think every packaging of a candle has instructions on them asking you not to leave them burning while you’re away? Maybe you place it too near the blinds, or they come in contact with electrical wires. Put them safely and blow them out while you’re going out of the room.
3. Install smoke alarms and get some fire safety equipment:
Smoke alarms are a must if you live in an area that faces a sweltering summer. So are sprinklers. These two are must have fire safety equipment in your house. Also, keeping a fire extinguisher around is a good option. It does mean some expenditure in the beginning but compare it to what you would pay for fire damage restoration service, and the former wouldn’t seem significant at all.
4. Get your home inspected for electrical safety:
Electrical fires are very dangerous and can happen any time of the year. A spark in the electrical fixture is enough to cause a big fire. There shouldn’t be any electrical cord and fixtures that are damaged. Minimize the number of exposed wires in your home. We always keep the wires covered to ensure our safety.
5. Smoking is injurious to health and your house:
We don’t recommend smoking. Not at all. But if you do smoke, don’t do it inside your home. Perhaps stand on the balcony, breathe in some fresh air while you’re straining your lungs.
6. Some more things you should know:
Use electrical equipment with caution. Give some space to equipment like heaters, refrigerators. Don’t let them get cramped up in one corner.
Have you made a fire escape plan for your house? If no, go on and make it. Being as safe as possible is good.
