Coasting into summer.
Sunshine Coast home restoration and renovation always seems to slow down a little bit at this time of year. We tend to see fewer natural disasters, the “atmospheric rivers” are on the other side of the globe, and our trees don’t send their branches through rooftops quite as frequently due to high winds or built up snow. It’s another reason to love summer.
What we must always remain on the lookout for are the common culprits of fire hazard and sewer line back ups, which can intrude on our happiness any time of year. Let’s focus on fire hazards today, as we are all crossing our fingers that the weather turns and hot and sunny for July and August.
First things first: a top ten list! What are the top 10 causes of house fires? Can you guess them in order of prevalence? Some of you may be as surprised as we are with where they each land in the top ten.
Cooking Equipment: this is really referring to any gas, propane or electric stove, or even microwave ovens, as well as the food itself.
Heating equipment: again, not as prevalent in the summer, but portable heaters require incredible care and attention. Do not let them operate near anything that can burn!
Careless smoking: many of us would have assumed this to be the number 1 cause of house fires, and frankly it is still not far off. We can never stress enough how much attention must be paid to ensuring any cigarette or smoking material be fully, completely extinguished before leaving it; and never toss a butt!
Electrical equipment: here we always recommend caution with overusing extension cords, ensuring your appliances do not have any frayed or broken cords, and always making certain that you aren’t running electrical cords underneath carpeting or other furniture.
Candles: ambiance is everything when you’re enjoying a romantic dinner at home, but there is nothing romantic about waking up to a blazing curtain where a candle was left on and eventually fell over. As with everything, care and attention.
Children and matches: can also be children and lighters, and any other flammable objects. We were not happy to see this as a top ten, but also not completely surprised. Best to keep all flammables out of reach.
Poorly done or DIY wiring: We live in an age of do-it-yourself - and with many things, it’s just great to see people being self-reliant. Where we get concerned is when the DIY project involves something as technical and potentially dangerous as wiring. Do you see one light get dimmer when another appliance is plugged in? Do you have circuits or fuses blow? Don’t wait for a fire. Have an inspection!
Flammable liquids: Kind of like matches and lighters, it’s all about storing them properly. Fuels, solvents, paints, kerosene, propane, boat gas…. Anything that can ignite should be secured in a safe place.
Christmas Trees and Lights: well, that’s not going to matter this time of year, but remember for next December; keep your tree watered, and at a safe distance from any heat source!
BBQ’s: Now that’s timely. Don’t forget that your BBQ is a fire itself, so keep it safely away from your home and any other flammable surface, and practice safe cooking!
First Response Restoration takes great pride in helping our customers recover from unexpected disasters, whether through flood or fire, natural disaster or human caused, and our model has always been preventative first, restorative second. Never hesitate to call us if you have any concerns or questions. And for addition fire safety information, here’s a valuable resource: https://firesmartbc.ca/