Home Fires

Leading causes of house fires and how to prevent them

Devastating home fires are all too common. By taking fire precautions at home, you could help prevent the fire before it starts. Most home fires and fire casualties result from five causes: 

1. Cooking
2. Heating equipment
3. Electrical systems and equipment
4. Intentional fire setting 
5. Smoking materials

A fire can become life-threatening in just two minutes. A residence can be engulfed in flames in five minutes.

• Fire is FAST! In less than 30 seconds a small flame can turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house or for it to be engulfed in flames.
• Fire is HOT! Heat is more threatening than flames. Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super-hot air will scorch your lungs and melt clothes to your skin.
• Fire is DARK! Fire starts bright, but quickly produces black smoke and complete darkness.
• Fire is DEADLY! Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than flames do. Fire produces poisonous gases that make you disoriented and drowsy.

Cooking Fires

Follow these tips from the National Fire Protection Association:

• Be alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don't use the oven or stove.
• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you need to leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the oven or stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food, check it regularly. Remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• Keep your stovetop clear of anything that can catch fire, including oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains.

If a cooking fire starts:

• Be prepared. Keep a lid nearby when you're cooking on the stovetop. If a small grease fire occurs, smother it by sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the stove and leave the pan covered until it has completely cooled.
• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
• Whenever fighting a fire, be sure others leave and that you have a clear way out.
• If the fire continues or grows, get out immediately! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
• Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you leave.

Heating Equipment

• Consider replacing older space heaters with new ones that turn off automatically when overheated or tipped. Keep them at least three feet away from anything flammable.
• Have furnaces and chimneys professionally cleaned and inspected every year.
• All fireplaces should have a sturdy screen to stop rolling logs and big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch flying sparks.. Never use flammable liquids to start a fire in a fireplace. Allow ashes to cool completely and use a metal bucket for disposal.
• Inspect and clean woodstove pipes and chimneys annually and check monthly for damage or obstructions.
• Make sure the fire is completely out before leaving the house or going to bed.

Electrical Systems and Equipment

• Have your home inspected by a qualified electrician, especially when purchasing an older home.
• Use a qualified electrician when having electrical work done.
• Watch for the warning signs of faulty wiring. These can include blown fuses, visibly damaged wiring, discoloration around outlets, flickering lights or burning odors.
• Protect your home against arc faults. An arc fault occurs when an electrical short produces an arc: intensely hot sparks that can set fire to nearby flammable materials. Arcs often happen in appliance or extension cords that have become frayed or cracked.
• To prevent arc faults, have Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) installed in your home. These devices look and work like conventional circuit breakers. When an AFCI detects an arc, it shuts off the circuit.
• Power surges can damage appliances and even cause fires. Protect your home with a two-tiered surge protection system: a whole house surge protection device (SPD) on the main electrical service to the home, and point-of-use SPDs for all valuable electronics and appliances.
• Smart sensor devices can help detect the invisible dangers lurking in your home.

Intentional Fire Setting

Intentional fires are those fires that are deliberately set and include fires that result from deliberate misuse of a heat source, fires of an incendiary nature (arson), as well as con- trolled burn fires, such as crop clearing, that required fire service intervention.

To help prevent a smoking accident from causing a fire, the U.S. Fire Administration recommends that you:

• Smoke outside. Many things in your home can catch on fire if they touch something hot like a cigarette or ashes. It is always safer to smoke outside.
• Put cigarettes out all the way. Do this every time. Don't walk away from lit cigarettes and other smoking materials. Put water on the ashes and butts to make sure they are really out before you put them in the trash.
• Be alert. Do not smoke after taking medicine that makes you tired. You may not be able to prevent or escape from a fire if you are sleepy or have taken medicine that makes you tired.
• Never smoke around medical oxygen. Medical oxygen can explode if a flame or spark is near. Even if the oxygen is turned off, it can still catch on fire.
• Never smoke in bed. Mattresses and bedding can catch on fire easily. Do not smoke in bed because you might fall asleep with a lit cigarette.
• Put your cigarette out in an ashtray or bucket with sand. Use ashtrays with a wide base so they won't tip over and start a fire.

The Importance of Smoke Alarms

A working smoke alarm significantly increases your chances of surviving a deadly home fire.

• Replace batteries twice a year, unless you are using 10-year lithium batteries.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement.
• Replace the entire smoke alarm unit every 10 years or according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Never disable a smoke alarm while cooking – it can be a deadly mistake.
• Audible alarms are available for visually impaired people and smoke alarms with a vibrating pad or flashing light are available for the hearing impaired.

Steps to Consider Before a Fire

If you are insured, contact your insurance company for detailed instructions on protecting your property, conducting inventory and contacting fire damage restoration companies.

Create and Practice a Fire Escape Plan. Remember that every second counts in the event of a fire. Escape plans help you get out of your home quickly. Practice your home fire escape plan twice each year. Some tips to consider when preparing this plan include:

• Find two ways to get out of each room in the event the primary way is blocked by fire or smoke.
• Make sure that windows are not stuck, screens can be taken out quickly and that security bars can be properly opened.
• Practice feeling your way out of the house in the dark or with your eyes closed.
• Teach children not to hide from firefighters.
• If you use a walker or wheelchair, check all exits to be sure you can get through the doorways.

 Fire Safety Tips

• Make digital copies of valuable documents and records like birth certificates.
• Sleep with your bedroom door closed.
• Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen. Contact your local fire department for assistance on proper use and maintenance.
• Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your residence.

What to do During a Fire

• Drop down to the floor and crawl low, under any smoke to your exit. Heavy smoke and poisonous gases collect first along the ceiling.
• Before opening a door, feel the doorknob and door. If either is hot, or if there is smoke coming around the door, leave the door closed and use your second way out.
• If you open a door, open it slowly. Be ready to shut it quickly if heavy smoke or fire is present.
• If you can’t get to someone needing assistance, leave the home and call 9-1-1 or the fire department. Tell the emergency operator where the person is located.
• If pets are trapped inside your home, tell firefighters right away.
• If you can’t get out, close the door and cover vents and cracks around doors with cloth or tape to keep smoke out. Call 9-1-1 or your fire department. Say where you are and signal for help at the window with a light-colored cloth or a flashlight.
• If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop and roll – stop immediately, drop to the ground and cover your face with your hands. Roll over and over or back and forth until the fire is out. If you or someone else cannot stop, drop and roll, smother the flames with a blanket or towel. Use cool water to treat the burn immediately for three to five minutes. Cover with a clean, dry cloth. Get medical help right away by calling 9-1-1 or the fire department.

What to do After a Fire

• Contact your local disaster relief service, such as The Red Cross, if you need temporary housing, food and medicines.
• Check with the fire department to make sure your residence is safe to enter.
• DO NOT attempt to reconnect utilities yourself. The fire department should make sure that utilities are either safe to use or are disconnected before they leave the site. 
• Conduct an inventory of damaged property and items. Do not throw away any damaged goods until after you make the inventory of your items.
• Begin saving receipts for any money you spend related to fire loss. The receipts may be needed later by the insurance company and for verifying losses claimed on your income tax.
• Notify your mortgage company of the fire.

The Escape Plan: Test Your Fire Safety Skills

In this virtual and augmented reality experience, you are racing against the clock to escape from an apartment fire. You will have to navigate through several rooms and make fast decisions to avoid danger. Are you up for the challenge?