House Fire- It Won't Happen to Me

9/24/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Golden, Wheat Ridge, Evergreen gives you the knowledge to help prevent a house fire in your foothills home.

It won't happen to me. 

That's a very common thought when the topic is a disaster.  We go about our days, thinking everything should fall, generally, into place.  However, what if it doesn't?  What if you forget to unplug the toaster one morning before you leave for work and your whole kitchen ends in thick black smoke?  

The truth is, a house fire can happen to anyone at any moment. But here at SERVPRO of Golden, Wheat Ridge, Evergreen we believe knowledge is power.  If you know some common areas and hazards in the home for a fire, you can help to prevent them from happening.  

The remainder of this blog will highlight the high risk areas in your home and give you helpful tips on how to mitigate your risk so that maybe, it won't happen to you.   

How House Fires Happen

            A house fire can start just about anywhere in your home, and from the smallest of sparks.  However, there are the five most common places in your home that you can come to know and take special attention to. 

            First off, the kitchen.  This is the number one place where house fires occur.  Nearly half of all house fires start in the kitchen.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise considering most all of the cooking is done in the kitchen and most household appliances are located here. Among kitchen fires, grease fires are the most common, and that is due to neglect.  Hot pans of grease are left unattended on the stove and become too hot.  Once the oil is too hot, it will catch fire.  If the cook is not there to see this happen, the fire builds and spreads.  To help prevent kitchen fires take the following into consideration:

• Maintain all appliances, keeping them clean and in good condition.
• Unplug electrical appliances such as coffee makers and toasters when not in use.
• Install a working smoke detector in the kitchen and keep a fire extinguisher.
• Always use caution when lighting a piolet burner or gas stove.
• Never put metal in the microwave.
• Keep an eye on what you are cooking at all times.
• Do not over fill pots and pans with oil.
• Keep oven mitts, towels, and the like away from the stove.

            Next up on the list is the bedroom.  This is the location where electrical meets plush. The bedroom is full of plush items such as pillows, blankets, drapes, and a bed of course. A bed is especially prone to fire if it is not a new one.  Any bed before 2007 is not likely up to fire code.  The following are tips for preventing fires in the bedroom:

• Install a working smoke alarm in the bedroom and have a fire extinguisher near.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Replace mattresses prior to 2007.
• Keep lit candles away from bedding, drapes, papers, or anything flammable.
• Do not run electrical cords underneath the bed or trap them against a wall.(Heat can build in this way).
• Do not overload extension cords.
• Only use lab-approved electrical blankets.

            The chimney is number three on our list. This one may seem like the obvious, but neglect to your chimney can result in a damaging house fire.  Often, the fire place itself is serviced regularly because it is in sight.  However, the chimney is forgotten.  Whatever you are burning in the fireplace will travel up and stick to the inside of the chimney, whether it be ash from paper or sap from the wood.  The coating on the chimney is flammable, especially if it is too thick.  Clean out your chimney.  It is recommended to clean out our chimney at least once a year or after 50 uses. 

            Fourth is the living room.  This is another place for an electrical fire.  The living room is often home to fire places, electronics, and like the bedroom, many plush items.  Many of the same rules from the bedroom apply to the living room such as, installing a smoke detector, not running electrical cords underneath furniture, keeping lit candles away from flammable materials, etc.

            Lastly, the laundry room. The main culprit here being lint in the dryer.   Lint can get caught in the vents and filters of your dyer machine and the heat can cause the lint to flame.  Additionally, the laundry room is often left unattended due to its passive work.  Be sure to regularly clean out the filters and vents in the laundry room and avoid leaving the house if you have a load running.

Why Choose SERVPRO of Golden, Wheat Ridge, Evergreen For Fire Damage Restoration

            SERVPRO is an industry leader in fire restoration.  We use advanced equipment and techniques to remediate the damage quickly and efficiently. We are a locally owned and operated family business, so customer care is our number one goal.  We live where we serve!  Heck, we might even be your neighbor. 

            We provide extensive training to our employees and are highly specialized in fire damage restoration putting great emphasis on monitoring and documenting the entire process until completion.

            We are a preferred vendor to many national and local insurance companies making the claims process easy and painless for the homeowner.

            Please give us a call for any of your home restoration needs! (303) 279-8055

Or visit our website at  https://www.SERVPROgoldenwheatridgeevergreen.com