Better safe than sorry!

You see the most horrible stories about home fires on the news every now and then. It’s horrific to think of that happening to your own home! That’s why you should make it as unlikely as possible for a fire to break out in your house. Many people have the following unfortunate habits, and changing them can be crucial in fire prevention.

Some of these habits might seem very innocent, but they can cause fire hazards in your home.

• Don’t place appliances close together. It’s best to place appliances a little way away from each other. When you don’t, the heat coming off an appliance might not be able to get away properly. This heat can cause a fire. It sounds very logical, but we do have to keep this in mind! Many people make this mistake.
• Check your tumble dryer for lint. Have you ever heard of tumble dryers causing home fires? We’re sure you must have, since it happens way too often. These fires are caused by lint that has stayed behind in the dryer. Lint can accumulate around the filter, the vents and the drum. When these pieces of lint keep accumulating, the heat can’t get out of the dryer. This can cause the dryer to catch fire.
• Avoid using extension cords and power strips. When you connect a lot of appliances to the same socket, it can get overloaded. This can also cause a fire.
• Never roll up power cords. By rolling up your power cords, the heat from the cords can’t get away. You run the risk of the isolation around the cord melting away, which can cause a short circuit. Or worse: a fire.
• Don’t use damaged power cords. Cords that are damaged can give off an electric shock. When such a cord is close to something flammable, this can catch fire.
• Don’t leave electrical equipment turned on when you leave. It’s even best to remove all the plugs from their sockets before you leave. The chances of a short circuit aren’t that big, but they’re definitely there.
• Never walk away when you’re cooking. One of the biggest causes of home fires? Walking away when you’re cooking. A small fire can become a big fire pretty quickly. Keep an eye on your pots and pans on the stove and don’t leave your kitchen. Does one of your pans catch fire? Put the lid on the pan and turn off the stove. Do NOT throw water on the fire.
• Don’t leave candles unattended. It might sound logical, but a small tea light can be forgotten pretty quickly. Always check whether you’ve blown out all of your candles before leaving, even if you’re just out for 10 minutes or so. A dog or cat can easily knock over a candle, and that’s a home fire waiting to happen.

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Source: Libelle | Image: Flickr