House Fire Statistics and How to Avoid Them

2/3/2021 (Permalink)

Residential Home Fire

Home Fires Lead The Way In Property Losses

Residential homes are the leading types of property losses. We broke down the facts and figures surrounding house fires and property loss nationwide. House fire property claims are also some of the most common and expensive in the United States according to the Insurance Information Institute.

According to the United States Fire Administration, residential buildings are the leading property type for fire deaths, injuries, and property losses. Here are just a few figures surrounding house fires and property loss nationwide. There are many more factors that cause fire but here are just 4 to name a few:

• According to the National Fire Protection Association An estimated $8 Billion dollars of property loss from house fires occurred in 2018.

• It's estimated that 49% of house fires were caused by cooking from 2013 to 2017 according to the NFPA.

• According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the estimated number of residential fires that occurred nationwide in 2018 were 379,600. That's a whole lot of fires!

• Every year, 48%of Thanksgiving Day house fires occur between the hours of 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Over 50% of all fires in 2018 were directly caused by cooking!

Reducing Your Risk of Becoming Part Of The Stats

There are many things you can do to help prevent a potential fire at your home. We suggest you put together a checklist of all potential hazards in your home and inspect those items on a regularly schedules basis.

Here are just a few items you should check regularly to get you started on creating your own checklist:

• Make sure your HVAC is in good working condition. You should have this inspected annually by a Heating and Air professional. 

• The easiest way to avoid a house fire is by checking your smoke alarms/detectors on a regularly scheduled basis. There is a little button on it that you can press to test it. If it beeps weakly, then you need to change the batteries ASAP. It's a good habit to change the batteries during daylight savings time annually.

•  Keep your stove and oven clean and free of grease and buildup of food particles. Never leave your kitchen unattended while your cooking! It only takes a few seconds for a fire to break out. If you have to leave the kitchen for any reason, turn off the burners before you leave the room. 

If for whatever reason you can’t turn off the oven, call someone into the kitchen to watch the food until you get back. 

• Make sure that electrical cords are in good condition and are not frayed or chewed by the family pet. If you do notice damaged wires, replace them as soon as possible because this is a huge fire hazard. Never use a cord the is damaged.

• Fire Extinguishers are your best defense weapon when a fire breaks out. You want to make sure you have one in every room that is a potential threat, such as the kitchen or laundry room. Every family member should know how to use an extinguisher so if a fire does happen, it can be put out as fast as possible. 

In the event at fire strikes your home, call the cleanup specialists at SERVPRO of Collinsville/Troy at (618) 667-8648. We promise to put your home back to it's preloss condition "Like it never even happened."