No one wants to think about the home they love and all their belongings going up in flames. Yet house fires remain a serious threat to homes around the nation and are a leading cause of death and injury.
Fortunately, you can keep your family safe as a Mequon homeowner. To prevent fires in your home, make sure you follow the safety tips below:
1 – Be Careful When Cooking
Accounting for nearly half of all reported home fire incidents, cooking in the kitchen is the most common cause of fires. As a homeowner, it is essential that you take extra care in the kitchen at all times.
Keep clothing, kitchen towels, oven mitts and hot pads, cooking utensils, and other flammable items away from heat and open flames. Never leave your cooking unattended, and always double check that appliances are completely shut off when you want them to be. Finally, be especially careful when frying or sautéing foods with oil as grease fires are especially common and dangerous
2 – Take Care When Cooking Outdoors
Outdoor cooking can be a source of fire as well. The best tip here is to make sure you never grill too close to the house. Also, always keep your grill as clean as possible. Grease buildup is a common grilling fire hazard and can cause malfunction of the grill, which can lead to out-of-control flames.
3 – Keep Flammable Liquids Out of Harm’s Way
You’d be surprised at how many flammable liquids are likely in your homes, including paint, solvent, and even things like cooking oil and nail polish remover. Keep all of these items in a safe storage place.
Likewise, when using rags or paper towels with flammable liquids, never leave them in piles or crumpled up. Rags soaked in flammable liquids can spontaneously combust.
4 – Take Care Not to Overload Electrical Outlets
Electric malfunctions and overloaded electrical outlets can cause home fires as well. Avoid using power bars and plug extenders on single outlets, and always unplug appliances and tools that are not in use.
Similarly, consider installing AFCI outlets, which can detect hazardous arc-faults and stop power to reduce the likelihood of an in-wall electrical fire.
5 – Watch Burning Candles Closely
While candles are beautiful and heartwarming in the home, they are also a potential danger waiting to happen. Never leave candles unattended or burning overnight, and keep flammable items far away from them at all times.
6 – Be Wary of Portable Heaters
Another one of the most common causes of fires in the home is the portable heater. Portable heaters can be useful in areas that are not fully heated in your home, such as basements, but using them puts you at somewhat of a risk.
If you do use portable heaters in your home, always keep them far away from other furniture, towels, carpet and rugs, curtains, and other flammable objects. Make sure they won’t tip over. And finally, never run them when you’re not in the room.
7 – Always Keep Your Dryer Vent Clean
Finally, be wary of your dryer vents. Dryer vents can easily build up with lint over time. Combine this with the heat constantly exiting the dryer vent, and a fire can occur at any time. Clean your events often to reduce your chances of experiencing a fire in your dryer vent.
If you abide by these safety tips, you have an excellent chance of protecting you and your family from home fires. But there’s always more you can do as well. To learn about ensuring the ultimate protection of your home with homeowner’s insurance, contact our team today.
