Although any damage that occurs to your home poses safety hazards, fire damage is argumentatively one of the most dangerous forms of damage that could occur because it often poses an immediate safety hazard to a household. Getting fire damage restoration for your home is crucial to making sure it remains a safe environment for you and your family.
Common Causes of Fire Damage & the Tips You Need to Prevent it in Michigan
It’s important to acknowledge the common causes of fire damage, as well as the necessary steps you can take to actively prevent fire damage from occurring. And how to take steps on what you should do once fire damage or smoke damage has occurred in your Michigan home.
3 Common Causes of Fire Damage
Although the leading causes of fire damage vary depending on where you live, there are generally three main common causes of fire damage that occur nationally.
- Cooking Appliances – The National Fire Protection Agency has reported that cooking accounts for nearly half of house fires in the United States. More specifically, the risks of fire damage occurring from cooking is even higher during holidays. This is largely due to the fact that cooking appliances are often used more than usual and can easily be overused or improperly used.
- Home Heating – Heat and fire go together like two peas in a pod. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that home heating is a major cause of fire damage. Research shows that space heaters are the most common cause of fire damage in relation to home heating. Another common cause of fire damage in relation to home heating is chimneys. Finally, research has shown that placing flammable items on or near home heating sources is another common cause of fire damage.
- Electrical Errors – The last common cause of fire damage is electrical infrastructure. Between electrical errors, malfunctioning, and failures, electrical equipment poses a serious risk of causing a home fire.
5 Fire Prevention Tips to Use
Although home fire statistics can be scary and cause homeowners to worry, there are plenty of steps homeowners can take to prevent fire damage. Here are some of the most popular prevention tips!
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Focus While Cooking
It’s easy to feel compelled to leave your food unattended while it cooks on an electric cooktop or gas element. But, doing so increases your risk of fire damage. So, make sure you give your food your undivided attention while you’re cooking on an exposed heat source.
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Accurately Place Smoke Detectors
You should have a smoke detector in every room and hallway in your home. More specifically, you should make sure you have smoke detectors located within ten feet of your kitchen.
It’s also important that you make sure your smoke detectors are functional. So, be sure to routinely check the batteries of each and every smoke detector in your home.
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Be Cautious of Flammable Items
It’s easy for a flammable item to catch on fire from an open heat source, such as a space heater or stovetop. That being said, make sure flammable items are out of arm’s length from heat sources. Common flammable items include paper towels, dish clothes, and clothing.
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Reduce Night Heat Consumption
When you’re awake, it’s easy to monitor your heat source. In other words, if something catches on fire, or something goes wrong with your heat source, you have a higher chance of identifying the problem and either extinguishing it or safely leaving your home and calling the fire department.
Unfortunately, you aren’t able to do this while you’re sleeping. Although some people enjoy sleeping in hot temperatures, you should consider reducing the amount of heat you consume at night. This is will help you avoid any fire damage from an open heat source. Instead of relying solely on an open heat source to keep you warm at night, consider purchasing an extra or heavier blanket to use while you sleep.
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Hire a Professional to Routinely Check Infrastructure
If you want to ensure the electrical infrastructure of your home is in tip top condition, consider hiring a professional to routinely check your home’s electrical foundation. You could also hire a professional such as Michigan Restoration Pros to routinely check and clean any open heat sources you have, such as a fireplace and chimney. Call Michigan Restoration Pros today at (248) 509-8104 for more details on the services they offer.