How Common Are House & Commercial Fires?
According to a report published by National Fire Protection Association, the fire departments across the United States respond to a fire every 24 seconds. While the death rates related to fires have been reduced over the years, thanks to the rigorous training of firepersons, it still ends up very costly to some. People can lose precious belongings, experience damage to their property, and be traumatized by the whole experience.
While there’s no guarantee of preventing fire damage altogether through any means, the risk of home and commercial fires can be reduced. Here are the most common reasons for home and commercial fires and the measures you can take to minimize their risk:
Common Reasons for Home Fires
Following are the most common reasons for home fires:
Cooking
Cooking is the number one cause of starting fires at home, and the main reason behind it is people’s carelessness. Leaving the kitchen while something is on the stove and forgetting about it creates most of the fires at home. Installing a smoke alarm and staying present and attentive while cooking can help reduce the risk of fire damage at home.
Malfunctioning Electric Appliances
Children and pets can chew electrical wires or expose themselves to flammable substances. If you have young children or pets at home, storing the wires and electric cords safely can help you prevent fire damage. All wires and electric cables should be stored safely
Smoking Inside
Smoking inside the home can not only expose nonsmokers at home to passive smoking and harm their health, but it can also start a fire. While smoking should be discouraged entirely, smoking outside and safely should be preferred over smoking inside the home.
Burning Candles
Burning regular or scented candles can be as dangerous as it can be relaxing. Always follow the instructions that the candle comes with when you use it. Additionally, don’t place it where it could be accessible to pets and young children, and don’t leave it burning unattended.
Intentional Fires by Children
Curious children are very likely to become a source of starting a home fire. If your child likes to conduct flammable experiments, providing them with a controlled environment, getting involved with their experiments, or guiding them about safety measures can help minimize the risk.
Common Reasons for Commercial Fires
The most common reasons for commercial fires are:
Cooking
Cooking is the number one cause of both home and commercial fires. Most commercial buildings are equipped with kitchenettes for employers. These employers can often forget their food in the microwave or on the stovetop, leading to a fire. Commercial buildings can also contain restaurants or other forms of professional kitchens that can increase fire risk with their high use of fire.
Keeping an attendant in office spaces can help with preventing fire damage. Installing smoke alarms and automatic sprinklers can also help contain the fire and stop it from expanding.
Heating
Centralized heating and cooling systems are used more than at home and pose a higher risk of malfunctioning and starting a fire. However, regularly maintaining HVAC systems in commercial buildings can significantly reduce the risk of fires. Informing people of signs of HVAC malfunctioning can also help identify issues early on and prevent the risk of fire.
Intentional Fires
Intentional fires are much more common in commercial buildings. Commercial kitchens, laboratories, or small factories make their products by using fires all day. If you own a commercial property where such businesses are located or even if you’re an employee, don’t hesitate to ask for fire damage protocols from the administration or the companies.
Flammable Material
Commercial spaces can carry many different flammable products. Some businesses may deal with the production of combustible materials, while others can be involved in packaging or shipping them. Regular inspection by such companies can ensure they are following through with SOPs of handling flammable products. Warning signs should be placed outside and inside such spaces. They should also be provided with easy access to fire extinguishers.
Electric Malfunction
It can be challenging to keep track of everyone’s activities in a commercial building. People face several IT issues and can try their ways if they don’t receive a response from their respective IT teams. However, electric wires can malfunction with or without any interference from people. Smoke alarms and sprinklers are essential in commercial buildings to minimize the risk of fire damage. Regular inspection and maintenance can also reduce the risk of fire unintentionally starting a fire.
You can never be too careful about preventing fire damage. If you want to further minimize the risk of starting a fire, you can look into structurally adapting your personal or commercial property for the purpose. Many restoration services, such as the 911 Restoration of Rockland, provide solutions and services to mitigate fire risk and restoration services in cases of unfortunate accidents.
