Fire Damage Tips

Protect Your Home from Fire.

Stovetop cooking: The leading cause of home fires is human behavior. The main causes of cooking fires include:

• Leaving food cooking on the stovetop unattended.
• Leaving burners or ovens on after cooking.
• Placing combustible materials too close to heat sources.
• Wearing loose-fitting sleeves near hot burners.

Smoking: Fires started by smoking kill more people than any other type of fire. Escape is often made more difficult because people are often:

• Asleep
• Slowed by alcohol or medication
• Challenged by physical, sensory or cognitive problems

Electrical: Electrical fires are particularly common in older homes where the wiring doesn’t always meet today’s safety standards. The main causes of electrical fires are incorrectly installed wiring and overloaded circuits and extension cords.

 

Warning signs include:

• Flickering or dimming lights.
• Switches or outlets that are hot to the touch.
• Discolored cords, outlets and switch plates.
• Repeated blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers.

Space heaters: Allow plenty of open space on all sides of space heaters. Use only space heaters with a “tip switch” that automatically shuts off the unit if it is tipped over.

 

Candles: Place candles on stable furniture where children and pets cannot knock them over. Never fall asleep while candles are burning. Keep candles away from holiday decorations, curtains, clothing, bedding and lampshades.