Peak Season - Residential Fire Risks

12/16/2021 (Permalink)

Cooking is the #1 cause of home fires

Peak Season – Residential Fire Risks

The holidays are here again and most of us are hustling and bustling to get everything done. This time of year, can be overwhelming for many people and a fire in your home is probably the last thing on your mind. Did you know, nearly 50% of all residential fires occur during the months of November, December, January and February?

 Four Common Causes of Home Fires

1. Cooking - Cooking fires account for nearly 49% of all reported home fires. Ranges or cooktops are the cause of three-fifths of home cooking fire incidents.

2. Heaters - Heating is the second leading cause of home fires. Failure to clean and maintenance heating equipment was the leading cause followed by having heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding.

3. Electrical - Electricity helps make our lives easier, but there are times when we take its power and its potential for fire-related hazards for granted. Electrical distribution or lighting equipment, such as wiring, lighting, cords and plugs are to blame for nearly 10% of reported home structure fires every year.

4. Candles - On average, 20 home candle fires are reported each day and roughly 37% of those fires started in bedrooms. Three of every five home candle fires occur when some form of combustible material was left or came too close to the candle.

Source: NFPA

Please Stay Safe this holiday season! Our highly trained professionals at SERVPRO of Licking County are always, “Here to Help!” If you do experience a fire loss, whatever the cause, call our office at 740-587-0938.