Fire needs heat, fuel, and oxygen to ignite. When it does, it can destroy anything in its path. And the number one cause of fire in any home is cooking when people forget they’ve got something on the stove or in the oven. Other than that hazard, candles, heating systems, and electrical wiring also cause home fires.
You’re likely careful with these things and are quick to spot the hazards. But other threats lurk in your home. And missing out on those threats could create the perfect triangle for igniting a blaze.
Potential Fire Starters
Smoking outdoors
You already know careless smoking in bed could set your bedroom ablaze. But did you know that a single cigarette flicked off from somewhere could land on something flammable? An unextinguished cigarette butt you throw on a garden bed with mulch may ignite with a change in temperature or slight wind. This has happened multiple times in Vancouver Island, setting seven fires.
Uncleaned dryers
Lint buildup in a dryer doesn’t just make your machine inefficient. It could also be the cause of a devastating fire. If your washer and dryer are placed in a room with other flammable items, the result could be massive. A dryer vent cleaning service will ensure the lint traps are clean, vents, and the dryer cabinet. A thorough cleaning could be scheduled every year, with periodic lint trap cleanup after periods of heavy loads.
Massage oils
How can something that’s meant to ease your burden suddenly turn into your source of grief?
It turns out some common massage oils are considered Class 3 Flammable Liquid with a flash point ranging from 102- 140° F. By comparison, kerosene has a 100-162° F.
Massage oil left in towels have been known to catch fire in a dryer or spontaneously combust after being pulled out. Some oils to be careful about are tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, bergamot, and frankincense, to name a few.
Unused and disposed batteries
Batteries bring your gadgets to life and power certain appliances — like a smoke detector. But when they aren’t stored properly and discarded the right way, these small electric power suppliers can start fires in your trash or raze an entire recycling plant to the ground.
These power sources turn into a fire hazard when pieces of metal touch the positive and negative terminals, creating heat-causing energy. So keep your unused batteries in their original packaging; never chuck them in some drawer with potential conductors. And when throwing our old batteries, put an electrical tape over the terminals.
And a final potential fire hazard in your home: the smoke alarm that has been forgotten. When the very device designed to let you know a fire is breaking out in your home can’t detect smoke, your life will be at risk. Defective smoke alarms or ones with expired batteries can let a fire destroy your home and leave you injured.
What you don’t know can hurt you. This is especially true of fire hazards. Don’t let these little-known threats lurk on your property. Keep a watchful eye and maintain the safety of your home.
