Gulf Coast real estate House fires are a very prevalent occurrence. It is important to invest in fire safety equipment that will alert you in the case of a fire emergency, but you should first take note of common causes of house fires to make sure you are prepared in any case. And since October is National Fire Safety and Prevention Month, it’s a good time to draw attention to these causes.
According to the most recently available data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries, and the second leading cause of home fire deaths is unattended cooking. If you leave the kitchen while you have something cooking, you might lose track of time, allowing food to burn and/or catch fire.
Heating sources are another leading cause of house fires, especially supplementary equipment like space heaters. If you choose to use space heaters, make sure to keep them away from things that can catch fire easily, like curtains, blankets, and furniture. If you have a furnace, make sure to have it inspected by a home HVAC professional so it will operate correctly and safely.
If your home has faulty wiring, defective outlets, and/or electric items with damaged cords, that also could cause a house fire to start. Electrical failures or malfunctions due to these things are a common cause of fires; they account for 13% of home structure fires. You might want to inspect your home for electrical hazards and contact a qualified electrician to address any problems you notice.
Aside from these three top causes of house fires, most other fires are caused by leaving things that are flammable or combustible unattended or carelessly misusing them. Some things that easily catch fire or burn out of control when unattended include smoking materials (e.g., cigarettes and lighters) and decorative candles. “One in 20 home (5%) home structure fires were started by smoking materials,” according to data about smoking-related fires from NFPA; and close to one in four (23%) deaths and one in 10 (10%) injuries resulted from these fires. The NFPA’s data shows that candle-related fires were 2% of reported house fires, resulting in 3% of deaths and 6% of injuries; most of these fires occur because the candles were left burning unattended.
Gulf Coast real estate Your first line of defense against house fires is to have smoke alarms and fire extinguishers installed in your home. You should also have fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. These products will help protect your home from fire damage and keep your family safe from fire injury and even death.
WEICHERT, REALTORS® – The Place of Houses is a team of real estate professionals based in the Corpus Christi, Texas area. Please reach out to a member of the licensed team of realtors if you are interested in real estate in the Gulf Coast region of Texas–contact WEICHERT, REALTORS® – The Place of Houses online or by phone at 361-882-5588.
