5 Common Causes of Fires In Your Home or Business

9/18/2019 (Permalink)

This fire was caused by cooking utensils catching on fire.

No one wants to deal with damages to your home or business due to a fire. Fires are catastrophic and brings along unhealthy smoke and soot. The best way to prevent all of this is knowledge. Knowing the common causes of fires in your home or business can help you understand how to stay safe.

SERVPRO of Spartanburg County is always here to help and today we are here to help everyone understand the common causes of fires in a home or business to prevent these fires from happening.

1. Smoking

Generally when thinking about smoking people think about the negative health effects but, what people do not think about is that smoking inside your home or business can cause a fire. Smoking is the leading cause of house fires especially when cigarettes are not disposed of properly. A cigarette that is still lit when thrown in the trash can ignite in seconds, covering your home or business in flames. To help prevent this, smoke outside and properly dispose your cigarettes.

2. Kitchen Fires

The kitchen is not an uncommon location for a fire to spark. It can happen because of open flames or intense heat of the stove. There are many things that can act as a catalyst to start a fire in your kitchen. Cooking utensils, clothes and napkins are just a few out of all the things that can help start a kitchen fire. The best way to prevent a kitchen fire is to always be aware of what you are doing while cooking.

3. Electrical Fires

All home and businesses are filed with electrical appliances and covered with wires behind the wall. Any malfunctions with those wires or appliances can cause massive fires. Something that a lot of people forget is that electrical fires cannot be put out by water, a water-less extinguisher is needed to take care of the fire. To prevent and electrical fire, make sure to not plug too many appliances to one outlet and to repair any wires that are damaged.

4. Lightning Strikes

Mother Nature isn’t always our friend in life. When thinking of a storm, most people relate it to flood damage and do not realize that there is also a fire risk. Lightning strikes are unpredictable and if your house or business is struck, it can cause a fire. If you are in an area prone to storms, the best thing to do is to have an efficient evacuation plan to keep you and your family safe.

5. Children Playing With Fire

Kids are going to be kids and that is something that is hard to control. Their curiosity can lead to disaster rapidly when playing with fire. Children tend to play with lighters, matches and candles without worry about causing a fire. To help with this situation, educate your children on how dangerous it is to play with fire to prevent a disaster from happening.

When disaster strike, SERVPRO of Spartanburg County is always here to help. In an event of an emergency, pick up the phone and give us a call!

864.576.2430