07 Causes of Domestic Fires
The causes of home fires can be divided into two groups:
Natural causes: These occur due to natural phenomena and are independent of human will or action.
Artificial causes occur due to human action and can be accidental or intentional.
A home can easily catch fire, from improper use of heating appliances and equipment to smoking while lying in bed.
However, you can take steps to prevent home fires and ensure your family’s safety.
Below are some of the most common causes of home fires and some precautionary tips.
1. Kitchen Appliances:
Home fires often start in the kitchen, as it’s a room in the house where fire and electrical appliances are frequently used, which can cause fires.
They are often caused by cooking oils and fats overheating on the stove or oven.
Pots and pans can overheat and are a leading cause of home fires if the person in charge becomes distracted and leaves the kitchen unattended.
Most kitchen fires start when food is left cooking unattended on a stove or oven.
By the time a fire is discovered, it’s usually too late.
Portable kitchen appliances, such as toasters, sandwich makers, and other appliances, can also be a source of fires.
Never leave these portable appliances unattended and make sure they are cool to the touch before storing them.
Toasters should be regularly cleaned of crumbs, which can ignite if they accumulate inside the appliance.
Barbecues left unattended on a wooden deck or near the exterior walls of a house can also be a source of fire.
Small fires involving cooking oil or grease can be quickly extinguished by turning off the stove and smothering the fire with a metal lid or damp towel.
Sprinkling baking soda or salt on the fire, as well as using a Class B or Class K fire extinguisher, will put it out.
Never use water to try to put out a fire involving cooking oil or grease.
2. Use of heaters:
In colder regions, it’s common to use heaters to warm up indoor spaces during the winter, especially at night.
There’s no harm in using these devices to create a more pleasant temperature, but some precautions are necessary to prevent house fires.
Among these precautions, the most important is to keep portable heaters at least one meter away from anything that could easily catch fire, such as furniture, curtains, clothing, and even yourself.
Another risk that heaters can pose is the reduction of oxygen in the environment, which can lead to asphyxiation while you sleep. Click here for fire watcher course
In the event of a fire, disconnect it from the power supply and, preferably, use a carbon dioxide (CO²) fire extinguisher. If this isn’t available, a dry chemical powder (DCP) fire extinguisher can be used.
Caution: Never use water to fight a fire while the device is energized.
3 – Electrical installations:
Many house fires are caused by electrical faults in residential wiring.
Electrical fires typically occur due to short circuits that cause arcing (sparks) that ignite combustible materials, or by overloaded circuits, causing wires to overheat.
Electrical problems account for approximately 10% of all residential fires and result in many deaths.
This is likely because electrical fires often occur in hidden locations and develop into large blazes before residents are aware of them.
Many of these house fires occur, including while residents are sleeping.
A good preventative measure is to have your home’s wiring checked by a professional electrician, especially if you live in an older home.
4. Smoking while lying down:
Smoking is dangerous to your health in several ways, including the potential for fires caused by cigarette butts thrown onto carpets, furniture, or other flammable materials.
A cigarette that is not properly extinguished can cause a flare-up, as the butt can remain lit long enough to cause a fire.
Smoking in bed is especially dangerous and should always be avoided at all costs.
A single stray ash is enough to ignite a mattress, blanket, rug, or article of clothing.
If you must smoke, do so outside whenever possible, or smoke over a sink and use an ashtray to help reduce the risk of fire.
5. Clothes dryers
You may not consider your clothes dryer a fire hazard, but this type of appliance can easily cause house fires.
This can occur when lint and dust build up over time.
This can cause the dryer vent to become clogged with highly flammable materials, which burn easily when exposed to high temperatures.
The best tip for dryer fire safety is to clean it every time before using it and to inspect and clean the dryer vent area to remove lint buildup and other potential blockages.
This simple practice can reduce one of the main causes of so many house fires.
6. Use candles
Candles may seem like the perfect setting for a romantic evening or a blessing in a blackout, but the minute you leave a candle burning in an unoccupied room, you’re asking for trouble.
Fire safety tips are simple:
Always extinguish the candle when leaving the room;
Never place a lit candle near combustible items or where it could be tipped over;
7. Christmas Trees
An overheated bulb or a spark can instantly ignite the tree, and such fires spread incredibly quickly, engulfing a room in seconds.
Artificial trees are safer, but a damaged cord or an overloaded outlet still poses a risk.
Never leave Christmas tree lights on when you’re not home or sleeping, regardless of whether the tree is real or artificial.
Incandescent bulbs can generate a lot of heat and should be replaced with LED bulbs, which are considerably cooler to the touch.
Small fires involving cooking oil or grease can be quickly extinguished by turning off the stove and smothering the fire with a metal lid or damp towel. click here for more blogs
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