Though there are some fires that are completely unavoidable, like a forest fire causing your Columbia home to go up in flames or a neighbor?s
house fire traveling to yours, most home fires are caused by accidents that could have been avoided. Here are some tips to prevent fire damage from occurring in your home.
Smoke Outside
If you are a smoker or you have a loved one or regular visitor who smokes, you should make it a house rule that all the smoking be done outside. Though most smokers are very cautious with their ash, it only takes one careless move for an accident to happen, and that accident can cost thousands of dollars. Smoking also causes irreparable damage to the interior of your home because the odor, in many cases is impossible to get rid of. This is more than just a smelly carpet or a couch, but the tar in cigarettes can become airborne and land on any surface, like your walls and the smell will remain there until the sheetrock is replaced.
Even smoking outside has its risks for causing fire damage. Mulch can go up in flames in seconds, so if you or a friend is smoking outside, make sure you still have an ashtray and that you extinguish your cigarette completely. Don?t ever carelessly flick your butts into the grass or shrubs, because if it has been a dry season, it could easily start a fire.
Candles
Most people want their homes to smell good, and the fact is that there are a lot of reasons why your home might not smell great. Many people fight bad odors in their home by burning candles, but it would be wise to stay away from these flames and instead opt for a wax melter, a potpourri spray, or an outlet mist. If you like the look of candles, you can still set some around your home and just not burn them. If you enjoy setting a mood for a bath, etc, then you could buy the battery powered candles.
Fuse Box
Another reason that fires start is an electrical issue in your home. If you have a house that is fairly old or one that you haven?t had inspected closely, it would be worth the peace of mind to have an electrician make sure that everything is up to code. Sometimes a fuse box might not be in the condition it should be, and other times there could be live wires within walls that careless previous owners didn?t realize could be a fire hazard. These wires are ticking time bombs; they could have lasted for years without issues, but it only takes one time to ignite and burn your home. Fire damage can spread rapidly and is more difficult and dangerous to fight against than water damage, for the most part. You should always be careful and cautious when you are dealing with open flames or electricity in your home to avoid fire damage from occurring.
If for any reason your home does suffer from fire damage contact a professional fire damage restoration company, like Sincerely Yours Inc. A team of fire damage cleanup professionals has the experience and equipment necessary to restore your home to its pre-loss condition.