Common Causes of Home Fires, Part II

10/17/2019 (Permalink)

Take caution to avoid fires caused by smoking and candles!

Welcome back! We’re glad you are here!  We are back with 2 more of the most common cause of house fires! The next two we want to discuss are home fires that are attributed to candles and smoking. Continue reading to learn how these fires are ignited and some tips on how to avoid them.

Candles

We love candles! They look and smell pretty!  Behind the beauty though is a great threat. If left unattended, candles can easily cause a room to burst into flames. Make sure you are constantly monitoring your lit candle!

Best Practices:

• Keep out of reach of children and pets!
• Place flatly on stable heat resistant surfaces.
• When lighting a candle long-reach lighter to keep your hair and clothing away from the flame.
• Keep them away from the flammable materials
• Always blow them out carefully before leaving a room

Smoking

Home fires caused by smoking are usually the result of carelessness or improper disposal. When cigarettes or other smoking materials aren’t put out properly the butts can stay lit for hours. If these lit cigarette butts encounter flammable materials results can be fatal.  

Best Practices:

• Always fully put out your cigarettes.
• Use an ashtray.
• Avoid smoking when tired or intoxicated.
• Avoid smoking in bed.

We hope that you have found this information helpful.   Please take extreme care when you are smoking and using candles. Remember to stay attentive, use caution, and follow these safety tips. 

While we all hope for the best and cannot imagine a fire happening the reality is it happens more often that we want to recognize.  Hope for the best, plan for the worst.  So be sure to 1. Have plenty of smoke alarms in your home and 2. have an emergency escape plan. 

If the unthinkable happens it is important to react safely and quickly. Here’s what to do:

• Get out! If possible close the door behind you when you leave to help contain the fire.
• Call 9-1-1, wait for emergency responders, do not attempt to put the fire out by yourself.
• Call your homeowner's insurance company to begin the claim process.
• Call SERVPRO of The Windsors for an emergency response, we’ll walk you through the rest.