How House Fires Start | SERVPRO® of Conway & Faulkner Counties

11/10/2021 (Permalink)

Regardless of the cause, SERVPRO of Conway & Faulkner Counties is here for you if your home is affected by fire.

No one wants to see their home caught in a blazing, unpredictable fire. We all try every day to make wise decisions to help prevent this from happening.

However, despite an increased awareness of fire safety, more than a quarter of all reported fires still occur in the home.

Let’s work together in getting that number down by recognizing and staying aware of the top causes of house fires.

Cooking. Cooking is the leading cause of house fires and injuries, with unattended cooking primarily to blame. The best thing you can do to help prevent a fire is to stay in the kitchen while preparing food.

Heating equipment. Heating implements like portable space heaters are another main culprit in helping cause house fires. Heating equipment accounts for 14% of house fires. There can be a combination of things that can cause this, including mishaps and malfunctions. Placing heaters too close to something flammable is also a leading culprit in fires.

Electrical fires. Faulty wiring or a higher usage of electricity (especially in older homes) can also contribute to house fires. Something as simple as placing a higher wattage bulb into a lamp that requires low wattage or having frayed wiring can increase the risk of a house fire.

Intentional fires. There are more than 28,000 intentional home fires started every year. That means someone purposefully set a fire intent on destruction, rather than a fire set for other reasons that simply got out of hand.

Smoking materials. This particular risk is only responsible for 5% of house fire occurrences, but it’s the leading cause of civilian fire deaths. These fires are particularly deadly because they often occur when someone who is smoking falls asleep.

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.