What Causes House Fires And Ways To Prevent Them

When you’re a homeowner, one of the most menacing perils to your property and loved ones is the risk of fire. The U.S. Fire Administration projected in 2019 that American homeowners suffered approximately $1.6 billion in damages due to unintentional or negligent fires. Unfortunately, fires are unpredictable and many times stoppable -- with a little knowledge of where to act. And, luckily, you are equipped with a monitored fire alarm that gets you emergency responders ASAP if you experience an incident.

What Causes House Fires?

Fires can happen in nearly any place without notice in the home. However, you can lessen the risk of fire if you take countermeasures around the following items:

• Stoves and Ovens: Cooking is the leading cause, by a huge margin, of a house fire. Kitchen-related fires most often begin when the kitchen is left unattended while cooking food. Water tossed on a grease fire only works to escalate a flame that would alternatively die out.
  
  
• Candles: Going to sleep in a space with a going candle is dangerous, even if you’re using a deep candle holder. The flame can easily catch a curtain on fire if left on a window sill, and a dog or cat can knock candles over. The National Fire Protection Association approximates that just over 7,600 properties were damaged because of candle-related accidents between 2014-2018.
  
  
• Electrical wires: Faulty electrical circuit interrupters, “tamper-resistant” electrical outlets, aging or incorrectly installed lighting, and cut lamp cords are all prone to sparks. Be sure not to overburden your outlets or plug an item in with uncovered electrical components. And if you hear popping or detect smoke from the outlet, turn the breaker off prior to checking it out.

• Space Heaters: Avoid coiled space heaters because waste, like dust bunnies, paper, or blankets can end up in and alight. However, you need to make sure to monitor fan and ceramic space heaters whenever the device is in usage.

• Cigarettes: Just in 2014, U.S. fire departments came to more than 17,000 home fires triggered by cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. So if you have a smoker that smokes indoors, make sure they never take a nap with a cigarette or lay in bed with one. And fully extinguish your paraphernalia before you throw it into a waste bin.

A Monitored Smoke Detector Will Help When It Senses A Fire

If a fire does spark, you will need to have an early warning system to inform your loved ones before it's too late. A traditional smoke alarm might be sufficient but can only alert you if smoke is really billowing. A state-of-the-art fire alarm -- a piece of equipment that's connected to your home security network -- is able to detect both smoke and climbing heat and is better equipped to make sure everyone’s safety.

A monitored fire alarm has many methods by which it can alert you of smoke. Your alarms will notify your family with an ear-piercing siren and an alert to your cell phone. That’s when your always-on monitoring experts will contact the fire department. And should you be somewhere in which you aren’t able to race to your house when a fire breaks out, you can be reassured that your monitoring agent will facilitate contact between you and the fire department.

Utilize Monitored Fire Alarms From Secure24 Alarm Systems

The chance of house fires in should never be underestimated, but you can rest easier if you have a monitored fire alarm in your home. Contact Secure24 Alarm Systems, and we’ll help you get all the smoke alarms you need with a comprehensive home security system. Call 833-319-7449 or fill out the form below to get your home security system.