Fewer things are more devastating than a house fire.
Our goal at Fireline is to prevent fires. Fewer things are more devastating than a house fire. Thankfully, there are ways to help prevent them. From residential sprinklers to fire extinguishers and smoke detectors, you can help to reduce your risk of a house fire. First, though, you need to know the causes of house fires. Read on to learn more!
In the Kitchen
Let’s start with the room where most house fires start: the kitchen. An overwhelming majority of house fires will start in the kitchen. That’s why fire safety is so important when cooking. Cooking involves an open flame or electric heating element, both of which can cause a fire if misused or left unattended. The oven uses high heat to bake, which can be dangerous. Whenever you are cooking or baking you must use caution and pay close attention to what you are doing. Don’t leave the stove or oven unattended while cooking. Always keep combustibles away from the heat source. Know how to fight a grease fire. Never, ever try to use water on a grease fire, simply cover the pan and remove from the heat or, better, make sure you ALWAYS have a working fire extinguisher on hand. This is the best preventive measure you can take in your kitchen.
The Living Room
Take a look at your living room. You may not think of the living room as a place where home fires are likely to start. It depends on how your family uses this area of your home. The biggest danger is usually the fireplace. Properly attended and maintained, a fireplace is safe to use. However, you’ll need to follow these rules:
- Only burn firewood that is properly seasoned
- Never ever use combustible or flammable liquids to start or maintain a fire
- Never leave your fireplace unattended
- Inspect and sweep your chimney
- Watch out for “popping” sparks
Even if you are a responsible fireplace user, you should be aware of other hazards. Use candles safely. Never leave them unattended and extinguish them all when you go to bed. Regularly inspect electrical cords to make sure they aren’t frayed or damaged.
The Laundry Room
Fire safety should be the most important thing you do at home. This includes the laundry room. Typically, washing machines don’t pose a significant fire hazard, but dryers do. Everyone should understand the causes of dryer lint fires. Just clean out the lint trap after every dryer use and regularly have the exhaust duct cleaned. Twice a year is a good practice. Also, never use chemicals or combustible or flammable liquids in either appliance.
Fire Protection Services from Fireline
Whether you need smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, or an automatic sprinkler system installed at your commercial property, Fireline has you covered. We have been protecting people and property from fire damage since 1947—and our experience shows in our excellent work! We are known for our superb customer service, our expertise, and our reliability. For more information on how we can help your residential or commercial property, visit us online or give us a call at (800) 553-3405. We are in Baltimore, MD, with a second office in Leesburg, VA. For more fire safety tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.