Household Fire Hazards You May Not Be Aware Of | SERVPRO® of Beaver County

12/14/2021 (Permalink)

Exercise extreme caution when using power strips. Ensure that your power strip includes surge protection.

While fire safety efforts are so important for any household, there is no way to protect against
things you do not know. While there are many obvious ways a fire can start in a home, there are
also incidents that have far less obvious causes—and because it is so vital to take action
quickly once a fire starts, prevention is a much better strategy for keeping your family safe.
The National Fire Protection Association estimates that house fires cause over $7 billion in
damages annually, but many house fires can be prevented with just a few simple precautions.
Below, we will be looking at some common causes of house fires that you may not be aware of
so you can always practice good household fire safety habits.
### Common Yet Surprising Causes of Household Fires
**Overloaded outlets and power strips.** While your average power strip may have six separate
plug-in ports, depending on what you are plugging in, that may be far too much for your
electrical system to handle. Plugging in multiple appliances and heating devices at once can
overcrowd the circuit and quickly lead to an electrical fire due to sparks.

**Dryer vents clogged with lint.** Dryer lint is a byproduct of drying clothes, but it is also an
extremely dangerous substance if it is allowed to build up. If your dryer vents become
overloaded with lint, the dryer can potentially heat the lint up to extremely high temperatures
when you run your next cycle, which can start a fire.
**Objects too close to heating appliances.** Space heaters are a vital source of targeted warmth
in the winter, but they can be dangerous to use if you are not careful. While many newer models
are equipped with tipping and overheating sensors, keeping flammable objects too close to the
heater can also cause a fire to start.
**Improperly stored flammable liquids.** Many household cleaning items, paints and other
liquids are actually quite flammable if conditions are right. For example, storing things like paint
thinner or gasoline in a hot garage in the direct sun can cause a fire to break out if the
combustible material gets too hot, so be sure to read storage labels for anything of this nature.
*If you have fire damage in your home, you can count on us to handle the restoration process.
Contact us today to learn more about our fire restoration services and how we can help.*