Facts About Fires

12/1/2020 (Permalink)

Did you know cooking equipment is the leading cause of residential fires? Since the holiday season has begun, you will find yourself in the kitchen more often while hosting friends and family, and fire precautions should be top of mind. A property owner experiences a flood of emotions when fire ravages their business or home. Fear, uncertainty, stress, and doubt about the future of the property and their livelihood can be overwhelming to the property owner long after the flames have been extinguished and the smoke has cleared. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) offers the following eye opening statistics on structure fires: More than one quarter (27%) of reported fires occurred in homes within the last year. Even worse, 79% of fire related deaths were caused by home fires. On average, U.S. fire departments respond to an estimated average of 354,400 home insurance fires per year, resulting in $6.9 billion in direct property damage. Most home fires and fire casualties result from five causes: cooking, heating, electrical distribution and lighting equipment, intentional fire setting, and smoking materials.