Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States, starting almost half of all fires. Heating is the second highest cause, followed by electrical systems/lighting equipment and intentional fires. Smoking is the fifth highest cause, but is the leading cause of civilian home fire deaths.
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. It is also the leading cause of fire injuries. Cooking fires often result from unattended cooking and human error, rather than mechanical failure of stoves or ovens.
Home fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home. The second leading cause of home fires are heating sources like wood stoves, and fireplaces.
Did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few safety tips you can prevent these fires.
Other findings from the report include: Texas has the most house fires so far in 2018, with 99 house fires. It has also had nine fire fatalities caused by cooking—more than any other state.
Bedroom - many bedroom fires start due to smoking in bed. Chimney - the buildup of creosote on the inside of chimneys is flammable and causes many fires. Living room - common causes include smoking, sparks from the fireplace lighting nearby objects such as blankets or a Christmas tree.
In 2017, the National Fire Protection Association cited that fire departments responded to a fire every 24 seconds. And according to freeby50, approximately one in 3,000 households experienced a fire in 2010. Here is a list of five things and their odds to help you put this into perspective (stats from Motley Fool).
Humans cause nearly 90% of wildfires in the United states1 via discarded cigarettes, unattended campfires, burning debris, or through equipment malfunctions.
Top Tips for Fire Safety
Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Test smoke alarms every month. If they're not working, change the batteries. Talk with all family members about a fire escape plan and practice the plan twice a year.
Ranges and Stoves
By far, ranges are the most common cause of kitchen fires. Electric ranges are at a greater risk than gas ranges to be the culprit of a kitchen fire. Grease fires can happen quickly on a cooktop and can get out of control quickly.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, approximately 24% of cell phone fires are caused by improper charging or use of incompatible chargers.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that dryers and washing machines cause an average of 15,970 fires each year, with dryers causing 92% of them and an average of $200 million in property damage.
Even if the dryer itself is in good condition, clogged dryer vents can cause a fire that can quickly spread to the rest of your home. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that clogged dryer vents are responsible for more than 15,000 dryer fires each year.
The most important rule is to never leave the fireplace burning unattended. Be sure to turn off the fireplace before going to bed or leaving the house.
Smoke alarms are essential because they'll wake you up the second the system detects a fire. When you're asleep, there's a very low chance a fire will wake you up, and by then, it could be too late. Smoke is the actual killer—it's completely silent, and inhaling the toxic fumes causes most fire-related deaths.
In the last 5 years there have been 125 fires reported to have been caused by the sun's rays. 'Crystal and glass ornaments and items such as mirror tables should be kept out of direct sunlight. This shows these fires are not an urban myth. Also make sure you have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home.
HARTFORD, Conn. --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Hartford released its 2020 Home Fire Index, ranking the top 150 U.S. cities with the highest home fire risk. The top five cities are: Detroit, Mich.; Macon, Ga.; Augusta, Ga.; Memphis, Tenn.
There are around 50% fewer house fires today than 40 years ago, but the average cost of damage caused has nearly doubled. In 2017, there were more than 26,000 house fires, caused by faulty wiring. Fire departments and services responded to fires every 24 seconds in 2018, in the U.S.
Overall trends for residential building fires and losses for the 10-year period of 2012 to 2021 show the following: A 5% decrease in fires. An 8% increase in deaths. A 7% decrease in injuries.
The Centralia mine fire is a coal-seam fire that has been burning in the labyrinth of abandoned coal mines underneath the borough of Centralia, Pennsylvania, United States, since at least May 27, 1962. Its original cause and start date are still a matter of debate.