We've all been there: you're cooking something in your kitchen, and smoke starts billowing from your valiant yet failed effort. The smoke alarm starts blaring, and all you're feeling is irritation. But that smoke detector makes all the difference, and you avoided a potential fire. What causes house fires? The list is long, and the causes are well-known. We'll show you how common they are and how to bolster fire safety measures in your home.

What Causes House Fires?

Let's examine the top leading causes of house fires to keep you in the loop. Plus, we'll look at some fundamental methods to stay safe from these house fire factors to put to good use.

Cooking

Going back to our first example, cooking is, far and away, the country's most common cause of house fires. According to the Red Cross, cooking fires are easily the number one cause of fire deaths and injuries in America.

The good news is that cooking fires are entirely preventable. The main factor in avoiding cooking fires is being aware of your surroundings and not leaving anything unattended.

How To Stay Safe While Cooking

firefighter spraying water into a burning house

Smoking

If there's another good reason to quit smoking, it's to avoid preventable house fires!

Smoking nationwide dropped over the decades. But house fires caused by smoking are still troubling statistics—around 5% of house fires as a result.

Preventing House Fires From Smoking

Space Heaters and Heating Equipment

In January 2022, 17 residents of a Bronx apartment building tragically died from smoke inhalation in a fire. A few key factors led to the deadly fire, but the number one was a space heater.

Space heaters are notorious for house fires; they cause 300 deaths annually and lead to over 20,000 fires. Not only that, but fuel-powered space heaters can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, too.

So how do you stay safe during those cold days and nights with one of the leading causes of home fires?

If you must use a space heater, there are a few ways to help avoid fires.

Staying Safe From Heating Fires

Candles

Although outfitting your home with atmospheric and aromatic candles can add ambiance and warmth to your home, candles can easily cause house fires.

How To Stay Safe Using Candles

Candle safety is relatively straightforward and requires nothing too in-depth.

Electrical Fires

Electrical fires are, unfortunately, a common cause of house fires. Whether it's a faulty wall outlet, wiring, or other electrical malfunctions, these cause thousands of annual home fires.

Staying Safe From Electrical Fires

Install Smoke Alarms

Notice a common theme? That's right, having a smoke alarm is a crucial piece of fire safety.

Having a smoke detector or alarm on every level of your house is non-negotiable. To ensure optimal safety, having smoke alarms installed in your home is necessary to eliminate potential fire damage, smoke damage, and worse.

Good fire safety also predicates itself to homeowners simply being aware of their surroundings. Remain vigilant, install smoke alarms, and ensure everyone is on the same page. If you do, you can easily avoid house fires in your home.

closeup of ruined items from a housefire

Stay Safe From Fires With Five Star Restoration

The best way to prevent fires is to be aware and prepared. Cleaning up the ruins of your home due to lack of oversight is painful, expensive, and potentially deadly. However, if you prepare the best you can and develop an evacuation plan in the worst-case scenario, you'll avoid house fires.

With Five Star Restoration, you can easily avoid what causes house fires in the Inland Empire.

The experts at Five Star Restoration know how to fix fire damage. But more importantly, they can help you ensure you outfit your home with the proper ways to keep your family safe. Home inspections and helpful tips with the Five Star Restoration team in Northern San Diego and Inland Empire help you prepare for the worst.

And if you're recovering from fire damage, these fire damage repair professionals have you covered.

Have any questions about fire safety, fire damage, or home restoration and repair in the Inland Empire and Northern San Diego? Get in contact with Five Star Restoration ASAP!

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