Houses are very vulnerable and can easily catch fire if people misuse appliances and don’t conduct routine maintenance of their homes. According to data, fire hazards are increasing and can have a severe impact on a person's financial resources. In the article, we discuss the common causes of home fires and how they can be prevented Cooking fires in kitchens can be said to be one of the leading common causes of house fires. A variety of steps can be undergone in order to prevent kitchen fires. In order to minimize the fire threats, individuals can follow these simple steps to keep their kitchen safe:

 Keep appliances up to mark, clean, and timely service

Make sure you clean the microwave and stove from time to time. Also keep a check if there are any pieces of food left in the appliances, for instance, bread crumbs in the toaster or in the oven, and make sure to clear them up. Unplug any devices that start to malfunction, later have them repaired or simply replace them.

Remember to unplug electrical appliances when not in use.

Basically, when you are not using your electrical appliances and are busy with the hassle of your daily life. These appliances continue to use electricity even if the individual is not using them. With passing by time, electrical equipment gets old and starts to deteriorate.

This can lead to any faulty firing or any electrical circuit or system onboard to short circuit and cause havoc in your home. An easy tip, developing a habit of unplugging all the devices in your home when not in use. How hard can it be to plug them back in?

Install smoke detectors and keep fire extinguishers in your home

When installing a smoke detector in your home, make sure you don’t get them placed directly in the kitchen because when cooking sometimes you don’t want the small amount of smoke or steam to trigger the fire alarms. Also, keep fire extinguishers in every room of the house in the case for any reason if a fire breaks out, you can easily pull it out with the help of the extinguisher.

Be careful when lighting a pilot light or the burner on the stove.

 Lighting a fire seems fairly easy, especially with the help of modern gadgets. But sometimes, an individual’s mind is preoccupied with the daily things happening in their lives that they make mistakes. So, always be vigilant when starting a fire in the kitchen or any other part of the house.

•  Do not use metal in the microwave.
•  Do not place utensils or pans with oil or grease
•  Do not cook and spread on dirty stoves.
• Place dish towels, pot holders and paper towels off the stove
• Roll up your sleeves and tie long hair when cooking.

You don’t need your pretty flowing silk sleeves in the food, and you definitely don’t have to let it get lit by the fire!

Always be present when cooking:

When cooking food in the kitchen, sometimes people get distracted by a call, somebody knocking on the door, and many others. So, stay in the kitchen when you’re cooking food and when you have to leave even for the slightest moment then make sure to turn off the burner or the oven. This small hassle can save your entire home from being destroyed.

 The Winter months are the time of the year where the cases of home heating fires are reported the most. Furthermore, according to statistics, home heating is the 2nd most reason leading to home fires. The fire caused by heating is hard to contain by the homeowners and the majority of the reasons these fires are started by:

• ·  Fireplaces
• ·  Water heaters
• ·  Electric Iron
• ·  Electric heater
• ·  Electric geyser
• ·  Induction Cooker
• ·  Microwave Oven
• ·  Hair blower
• ·  Electric Space heaters

Conduct routine inspection and clean your furnace

Consult the authorized furnace experts to inspect the furnace and to carry out routine maintenance. Also, remember to timely clean the furnace ducts and change your furnace filter every month during the winter. Moreover, don’t place any kind of items near the furnace especially those that are flammable

Inspect and clean your chimney

Chimneys should be cleaned of soot and creosote annually. Also, it should be made sure that chimneys don’t have any air leaks and cracks in them. The reason behind this is that if there are air leaks them it can affect the intensity of flame present in the fireplace and can eventually lead to a fire being ignited outside the fireplace area

Use expansion screen and cowl with chimney

The function of the cowl is to help prevent rainwater and any other sort of thing from entering the chimney. Also, use an expansion screen with your chimney as it stops any log from coming or its sparks from popping out the fireplace area. An expansion screen comes in handy when you have carpet or sofas near the fire placer area.

Use proper precaution when using a space heater

It's reported that around 73% of home fires are caused by space heaters. The easiest way to prevent fires caused by space heaters is to use heaters that have emergency cut-off systems if there is any detection of leakage, low pressure, explosion or if it accidentally falls down.

In case, if the space heater follows on the floor and doesn’t automatically shut off, then there is a high risk of setting itself on fire. Always have an expert install the space heater and follow proper instructions as guided by the manufacturer.

Check your water heater

As your water heater gets older, the thermostat and heating element inside will deteriorate and the flame will become unstable. This can cause flash fires, especially if the water heater is in the garage where it is exposed to air or changes in the air supply caused by opening or closing the door.

To sum up, there are numerous ways that you can stay fire-free in 2020 and in the coming years in your life. Follow these simple steps & safety features to make sure you and your loved ones remains safe

1. In occupied properties

• Test Smoke Alarms Monthly to be sure they are working.
• Keep Fire Extinguishers in the Home and make sure your tenants know how to properly use them.
• Install Fire Suppression Products that can help extinguish cooking fires and prevent a larger fire from occurring.
• Kitchen design also matters a lot when it comes to preventing fires

2.  In vacant Properties

• Layer your security to make sure “uninvited guests” can’t enter the home.
• Make the property look as lived in as possible until it is sold or occupied; abandoned homes invite mischief and theft.
• Recruit the neighbors to be on the lookout for any unfamiliar faces in the neighborhood and call the police if necessary.

There is nothing more upsetting than losing everything you have worked your life to. Home holds a lot of meaning and is like a sacred member of the family. Home is where you make your most precious memories, so it’s upon you to protect them.

Get Home insurance today. https://zurl.co/qzIh