House fire dangers: Actions you may not realize you do
Temperatures are soaring but that doesn't mean house fire dangers are fizzling out.
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A house fire occurs every 88 seconds, according to the National Fire Protection Agency.
People usually associate a house fire with winter months and wildfires with summer months.
But that’s not always the case.
Temperatures are soaring, but that doesn’t mean house fire dangers are fizzling out.
A house burned to the ground on the night of June 22. The cause is believed to be electrical. Columbus Fire Chief Duane Hughes said there are some common Summer activities that can also lead to house fires.
“Grilling is one of the major factors. People will move them closer to the houses on porches, and they’re unattended,” he said.
Another common cause is electrical fires.
“Then, we have large loads placed on the wiring in homes,” Hughes said.
Many older homes were not designed to accommodate such high loads of electricity.
Plugging in multiple fans in an older house with no central air or poor circulation is not a good idea.
And then there’s the human interaction with Mother Nature, especially when we’re experiencing hot, dry conditions, like we’ve had recently.
“Sometimes, outside burning, rubbish clearings will get away and will cause those fires to actually set structures and homes on fire,” Hughes said.
And fires aren’t the only concern.
“We have had a couple of carbon monoxide disturbances in our town, and unfortunately, a couple of them have been tragic. So, we want to make sure you have a working smoke alarm and if you have anything that gives off carbon monoxide in the home. You want to have a carbon monoxide detector,” Hughes said.
If you would like a smoke detector installed, make sure you contact your nearest fire department. They could provide one for free.
