Preventing fires in the home is something to remain vigilant about all year long, but especially so in the winter. December and January are the months with the most house fires each year in the United States.
There are a few season-specific reasons for this and knowing those risk factors can help you to prevent fires in your home going forward, So, here are a few of the reasons that winter can be such a dangerous time for house fires:
Heating
Winter brings colder weather, which forces people to use their home heating systems more, which leads to more fires. However, it’s space heaters that you really have to be worried about, as they lead to fires a significantly high percentage of the time than any other heating source. Be sure to always follow all safety protocols when using a space heater.
Candles
Candles are a great way to set a warm, holiday mood in your home during the winter. Perhaps this is why there are more candle-related house fires in December than any other month. Most of these fires start because someone falls asleep before extinguishing the candle or because they leave something too close to the candle.
Holiday Lights
The holiday season is a great time to decorate your home with lights, but it’s important to be careful when doing so. Holiday lights – or the electrical distribution of them – lead to quite a few fires each year. You can avoid this by replacing strings of lights that are damaged, reading the manufacturer’s instructions, not overloading any outlet or power strip. Of course, you should also turn them off before you go to bed for the night.
Cooking
No matter what time of year it is, a good percentage of fires tend to start in the kitchen. This can be even more of an issue in the winter when people tend to bake more and cook large meals for holiday parties. It’s vital to follow basic safety rules: don’t leave the kitchen unattended while cooking, be careful with flammable objects near the stove, and clean often to avoid grease fires.
Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, you can never be 100% certain that a fire won’t break out. That’s why it’s important to have a backup plan. Fire Tech Residential Sprinklers can provide you with another line of defense against fires. We can give a quick, accurate and free estimate, install sprinklers in your home, condo, townhouse, or apartment and then can perform inspections that work with your schedule. Contact us to learn more today!