House Fires in American Homes

9/3/2020 (Permalink)

You may think that house fires increase in the winter months, and you’d be right, but only ever so slightly (about 1% more than warmer months). When house fires actually increase a noticeable amount its not during the colder months or because of the temperature outside, but during certain hours of any given day within the year.

What are the peak hours during the day that the most fires happen within American homes you may ask? The answer is from about 4:30pm-8:30pm. Why?  Most of us are home by that time and should be able to catch a fire if it happens, right?  But most fires caused between that 4 hour period, are caused by homeowners themselves…and they are caused, by cooking dinner.

Cooking fires make up almost 50% of all household fires. And while many homeowners catch the fires before they cause substantial damage, many can get out of control within minutes…seconds even.

We cook with highly flammable materials and substances. Butter, oil, and fatty substances can catch fire and create a toxic coat of soot within the area in minutes.

When you are cooking, never leave something unattended and keep a fire extinguisher handy and close by. Make sure you know how to operate the fire extinguisher as well. Seconds and minutes can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and a few hours of a smoky smelling house, and an entire home that needs fire restoration cleaning. If you have suffered a cooking fire, call SERVPRO of Pismo Beach/ Arroyo Grande. We can help you return your space to it’s preloss condition.