When home owners talk about the most feared hazard at home, fire usually tops the list. They can be easily extinguished if they are spotted early but if you spot them too late then they will have devastating effect on your home, your health, and your financial situation. This article has a look at the top four causes of a fire at home. If you are aware of these three causes then you can significantly reduce the chances of getting a fire disaster at home.
The first common cause is unsurprisingly the kitchen. Many people tend to be careless with their cooking activity. For example, they may forget to turn off the gas cooker and they may not clean any residues and oils left after cooking. All of these activities can lead to potential fire disasters. During a trip to Thailand, a friend of mine destroyed a whole kitchen after forgetting to turn off the gas cooker. The fire eventually reached the gas tank and the whole place exploded. If you do not want this to happen to you then make sure all general kitchen protocols are in place. For example, make sure you have a photoelectric smoke detector installed above your gas or electric cooker. This way, you will be able to detect the fire before it reaches its full intensity.
The second common cause is the fireplace or heater. If these appliances are not carefully maintained then they have a huge potential of exploding. For houses with a fireplace, you should make sure any unused charcoal or wood is placed well away from the fire. A lot of sparks come out of a fire which is generated using charcoal so it can easily spread to other flammable items if they are too close. In the case of a heater, you should not leave it on for too long, especially if you have a traditional heater. Modern heaters now come with a temperature control system but if you have a traditional one which only has the function to turn off and on then make sure you turn it off once in a while to let it cool down.
The third cause is the electric cord. If you have any worn out electric cords around your house then your house is definitely at risk of catching a fire. Electric cords which are exposed to flammable items like rugs can easily start a fire at the most random time so make sure they are replaced from time to time.
