What Are the Most Common Causes of House Fires in America?

12/7/2022 (Permalink)

Kitchen fire damage in Tulsa, OK

Common Causes of House Fires

If you're like me, your first thought when hearing about a house fire is, "How can this happen?" The truth is that most house fires are preventable. If you know the common causes of house fires, you can take steps to avoid them in your home and protect yourself from harm.

Cooking Fires

Unattended cooking is one of the leading causes of house fires in America. According to a recent report, unattended cooking accounted for over 7,000 home fires and 100 deaths in 2015 alone. This doesn't include any injuries caused by smoke inhalation or burns while trying to extinguish the fire once it has started.

Even if you're only gone for a few seconds and don't think there's any danger, it's worth being mindful about leaving your pan unattended when you're cooking anything other than water or broth—anything that might have enough sugar content to rapidly boil up into an unexpectedly combustible situation (you know: like pancake batter).

Electrical Fires

Electrical fires are the second most common cause of house fires in America. Electrical failures can happen anywhere, but they are especially likely to start in your kitchen or bathroom.

If you're lucky, an electrical fire will only damage the wires and other parts inside your walls or attic; however, an overloaded circuit could cause a fire that spreads throughout your home or causes short-circuiting throughout your electrical system. If you notice any sparks coming from outlets, switches or light bulbs, call an electrician immediately because these signs indicate faulty wiring!

Heating Elements

On average, approximately 50% of residential fires occur during the heating season. This is caused by a variety of factors, including:

• Fires are started by space heaters, fireplaces, and wood stoves. These types of fires are often related to improper use or lack of maintenance on these appliances.
• Electrical malfunctions in vacuum cleaners and other electrical appliances that are not properly maintained.
• Smoldering rugs and carpeting when people leave a room for hours at a time without putting out their cigarettes or emptying ashtrays.
• Smoking materials left unattended around pillows or bedding materials like comforters or blankets can also cause house fires throughout the year but especially during winter months when people want to stay warm inside their homes instead of venturing outside into cold weather conditions which could cause hypothermia if they were caught outdoors without proper protection from cold temperatures such as heavy jackets with hoodies etc...

Candles

Candles are a common cause of house fires. Pets and candles are even riskier. A candle can be knocked over or can burn down to the edge of a table. When it does, the burning wax will fall onto your pet and start a fire.

Another threat from candles is that they cause burns to pets if they come into contact with hot wax at any point in their lives, whether as kittens or adults. And if you think about it, most people don't have any idea how hot those little things get! So what does this mean for your cat or dog? Well, let's just say we're going to avoid them like the plague now because we don't want anything bad happening on either side during our next dinner party...

While there are many causes of house fires, it’s important to know some of the most common ones. By being aware of these causes and taking the necessary steps to prevent them, you can keep your family safe.

If a fire breaks out in your Tulsa, OK home, give SERVPRO of South Tulsa County home!