As Public Adjusters for home and business disasters, house fires are an unfortunately common occurrence. In the winter months, homeowners love nothing better to do than to bundle up by a roaring fire in their fireplace. It invokes a feeling of comfort and safety. To help keep your family and your house safe during the winter, we have compiled a short list of things that you can do to help prevent a fire in your home.
Avoid using space heaters
Space heaters are very prevalent throughout the United States. They are used to heat rooms where you may not have heat available. If you use a space heater, it is imperative to set it on a timer or turn it off when you leave the room. Some space heaters have automatic shut-off mechanisms, but others do not, which can cause a big problem and potentially a fire. If you have pets, they could accidentally knock it over or push something up next to it which can catch fire. Anything can happen if you aren’t around.
The best way to prevent a fire from a space heater is not to have a space heater in your home. If you can afford it, it is better to have a professionally installed HVAC system.
Regularly maintain your HVAC unit
Most homes in America have some form of central heating and air. Unfortunately, some fires do arise from the HVAC unit itself. You can reduce the risk of a fire by regularly maintaining your heating system at least once per year.
Limit or eliminate the use of candles
Candles are very popular in the United States. But they are also a prevalent cause of house fires. The National Fire and Protection Association reports 21 house fires per day are attributed to candles. Candle fires peak in December, with the most important day on Christmas with almost 3x the daily average. Since most of the fires (60%) were due to the candle being placed near something flammable, if you are going to use a candle during this time, we recommend placing it inside a fireproof material and away from anything that could potentially catch fire.
The safest bet is to replace your candles with an LED look alike. Yes, it is not the same as a candle, but it may save your life and the lives of others.
Cook with safety in mind
According to NFPA, cooking fires are the leading cause of house fires in the US. Thanksgiving is the largest single-day of house fires caused by cooking, followed by Christmas. We recommend following the cooking safety guidelines the NFPA published. Here is a quick summary:
- Don’t cook if you are intoxicated
- Stay in the kitchen while you are cooking
- If you are using the oven, check it regularly
- Keep anything that can catch fire away from the stove.
Be careful where you place holiday decorations
With winter comes holiday, decor, and decorations. In winter, many fires are started because the decorations were too close to a heat source or improper electrical configurations. It is essential to be aware of where you are placing your holiday decorations. If it is close to a heat source, we recommend moving any flammable decorations away from the heat source.
Hire a Public Adjuster for house fires
As a leading public adjuster for house fires in the United States, a significant amount of our work involves helping families recover from a catastrophic loss such as a fire. We hope that these five steps will help prevent a house fire in your home. In the unfortunate circumstance that you have suffered from a fire, we recommend contacting a public adjuster immediately. A public adjuster will work on your behalf and advocate for you with your insurance company to ensure that you are provided with everything that your policy states.
If you need a reputable public adjuster for house fires, you can contact Brandon Lewis and our team at Strategic Claim Consultants at any time. We are here to serve and advocate for you, not the insurance company.