Top Ways to Prevent House Fires | SERVPRO of Rochester

12/8/2023 (Permalink)

Help protect your home or business this holiday season with these fire prevention tip from SERVPRO of Rochester!

Suffering through a house fire is probably near the top of every homeowner’s list of worst nightmares. The sheer level of damage, not to mention the potential for danger or catastrophe, can keep anyone awake at night. 

While we all know that not every house fire scenario can be prevented, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of a house fire. The tips below can be incorporated into your daily routine to help keep your home and family safe and sound. 

Starting in the Kitchen

The majority of house fires start in the kitchen, but that should be no surprise! We use heat and flame to cook most of our meals, so that directly increases the chance of fire whenever we turn on the stove or preheat our ovens. Because of that, you should never leave your kitchen area when you are actively cooking or baking. Walking away for even a moment is enough time for a kitchen towel to catch on fire or for a grease fire to erupt. 

Stay close by, and keep a lid near you at all times. If a fire does break out, you can quickly throw the lid over your pot to smother the flames. You should also take the time to remove flammable materials from around your stove like wooden utensils, pot holders, oven mitts and even flammable décor items. 

Electrical Safety Tips
Another place for fires to break out is anywhere near your electronics or in your outlets. Electricity is a vital part of our daily life nowadays, but it doesn’t come without risks. Outlets can easily become overwhelmed and overheat, so try to limit what you have plugged in at any given time and consider investing in a surge protector for important spaces like your office or utility room.

You should also limit the amount of extension cords and outlet extenders. Plugging an extension cord into another extension cord is called daisy-chaining and that can be really dangerous, especially indoors. Unplug whatever you aren’t actively using and address loose or warm outlets right away. 

Candles and Space Heaters  

Who doesn’t love to be cozy? Candles and space heaters can warm you up and give your room the coziest feel, especially on those chilly winter nights. Blow out your candles completely before heading to bed or when leaving the room, and be sure they are always set up in a safe location away from kids and pets. 

If you utilize space heaters, set yours up on a level, nonflammable surface and keep a close eye on them. Space heaters are beneficial in the fact that they can easily be moved, but that means they can easily be tipped over. Only use them when you are present in the room and then turn them off before going to sleep. 

Preventing house fires is not always possible, which is why we are here. SERVPRO of Rochester will help put your house back together faster, and we will ensure to remove smoke odors and damaged debris with ease before tackling your repairs.

Suffered a house fire? Make SERVPRO of Rochester your first call after the flames are out.