FIRE HAZARDS TO CONSIDER ON THANKSGIVING

11/22/2016 (Permalink)

THANKSGIVING - FIRE HAZARDS

Holidays are here and none celebrates cooking more than Thanksgiving. Of all fires reported in the U.S. every year, 31% happen in residential homes. That’s due to a number of factors: open flames, negligence, cooking, and more. A key for preventing fire is understands common causes.

Here are some of the common causes of fire at home, please keep them in mind and prevent serious accidents during the holidays:

1. COOKING
House fires happen most during dinner hours, most likely between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. That’s because people are cooking. If you’re preparing dinner, here’s what you should remember:

• For grease fires, only use a fire extinguisher (class B) or baking soda. Do not use water! It will spread the oil/grease and make your fire worse.
• Never leave your food unattended. Fires only need 30 seconds to go from a small flame to an out-of-control blaze, so even going to the bathroom could endanger your home.
• Turn off the stove and all appliances once you’re done cooking.
• Don’t wear baggy clothing. It could catch fire accidentally.
• Keep the grill at least 10 feet from vegetation and the house. Don’t ever leave a grill unattended. Fat dripping from oil or meat could cause a flare up that can quickly grow out of control. Also, remember to keep grills away from brush, your home, and overhanging branches.

2. HEATING EQUIPMENT
Almost 13% of all residential fires are caused by heating equipment. You can avoid heating equipment from catching fire by inspecting and cleaning wood-stoves and chimneys, using a fireplace screen, and having your hot water heater and furnace serviced regularly.

Space heaters can also cause fires if left too close to walls, drapes, and bedding. If you have a space heater, give it some room.

3. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
Electrical appliances cause over 6% of house fires. Look for worn wires, surge marks in wire, and damaged cords. If you see any exposed wires, unplug the electronic appliance and replace it immediately. Also, keep all cords away from furniture and rugs. Running cords under rugs is dangerous. We recommend never plug appliances into an extension cord or two-slot outlet and while on vacation you should unplug everything just in case.

Beauty tools like hair straighteners and curling irons get hot. If you forget to unplug them, they could start a fire. Always unplug your beauty products and leave them on a hard surface like a marble countertop and away from flammable objects.

You can decrease the chances of something malfunctioning and catching on fire by making sure it’s approved by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL). The UL has high safety standards, so you’ll know the appliance is well made.

4. CARELESSNESS
For house fires, negligence causes 5.8% of flashes. Carelessness includes leaving candles burning, not putting out cigarettes, putting heating equipment near combustible items, and more. Fire is dangerous. Never treat anything hot or on fire with anything but the utmost care.

5. SMOKING
About 2% of fires are caused by cigarettes. One way you can prevent fires from cigarettes is to stop smoking them! Another is to do so outdoors and put your spent cigarette butts into water. Wildfires and those caused by lightning are unavoidable.

6. OTHER POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARDS TO CONSIDER
Most Christmas Trees fires start because of faulty lights or proximity to a heat source. Christmas tree fires are normally pretty serious too. On average, one out of 31 Christmas tree fires kills someone. Prevent this from happening by putting new lights on your Christmas tree, inspecting older lights, and keeping them away from heat sources.

Between 2007 and 2011, nearly 50,000 fires were started by people playing with fire. Of those, 43% were started by children under six years old and 38% of outdoor fires were caused by children aged 10. Keep matches away from kids, teach them about fire safety, and never leave them unattended with flammable objects.

Don’t’ forget to clean your vents and filters! They can get gunked up with lint, hair, dust, and other flammable residue that can catch fire.

If you are experiencing any fire or smoke damage at your work place or at home during the holidays do not hesitate to contact SERVPRO, our technicians will treat your family with empathy and your home with great care. (772) 334-8762

SERVPRO wish you a “Happy Thanksgiving as its a time to be grateful and to think about all the special people who have touched our lives”