Electrical Fires

10/18/2018 (Permalink)

Some electrical fires happen because of problems in house wiring or appliance failure.

When an electrical fire happens most people are taken by surprise. It usually happens from a simple act done a hundred times before such as turning on a light switch or plugging in your phone, but this time it causes sparks to fly. There are few tells to look for indicating a fire is imminent. Yet with today's safety standards in modern-day products, electrical fires happen so rarely even when we push the wiring to its limit that we are lured into a false sense of security.

Remember To Look For:

Frayed Wiring- There is always that one cell phone charger that seems to pull at the ends and become frayed. The wiring may be exposed but you continue to use it anyway because it still works. Please don't. The exposed wiring could spark at any time and cause a fire that would be much more expensive to pay for over buying a new charger.

Old Wiring- In between the walls of every home runs a maze of circuitry and copper wiring. All homes are built to code with plenty of electrical charges to sustain modern appliances. As time goes on and we invent bigger, better, and more energy consuming products it becomes harder for the old wiring to keep up.

Overpopulated Extension Cords- During the holiday season, this becomes the most common fire hazard. It is also the most common cause of fires during the month of December. 

High Wattage Bulbs- Every lamp comes with a little warning label informing the owner of the highest wattage it can safely use. Do not stick any bulb in a light fixture because it fits. 

Space Heaters- The most common cause of a household fire occurring because of these is due to the nature of how easy it is to light fabrics on fire. Keep space heaters away from curtains and organic products.