Fire Damage | Winter: The Season for House Fires
Have you noticed a lot of house fires in the news lately? There has been a huge rise in people who have lost their homes, and sometimes their lives, due to house fires that occur in the winter. Here are a few reasons why house fires typically happen more during the colder months:
More Time Spent Inside
Colder weather means that most people spend much more time at home cuddled under a blanket with a cup of tea. Homeowners who are normally outside during the nicer months find themselves, and their kids, spending days on end without stepping outside at all. All of this time indoors means that the family is using more electricity and heat sources than usual which greatly increase the chances for a house that needs disaster restoration services after a house fire.
Additional Heating Sources
Many people use more heating sources during the winter on top of their normal furnace usage. Space heaters and fireplaces are all used to help create extra warmth and that beautiful glow during the cold winter season. Knowing how to properly use a space heater, without placing it near anything that could catch on fire, is especially important in keeping your home safe this winter. Fireplaces should always be attended and not left alone to burn as sparks and burning wood can easily catch carpet and nearby flammables on fire. Always use proper safety techniques when adding additional heat sources to a home.
Home Cooking
Most of the fires that happen in homes during the winter are sparked from cooking. The colder weather forces homeowners to cook indoors instead of using the bar-b-que as a cooking method. All of those extra meals and the need for warm comfort food increase the chances of a house fire. Making sure to always be present while a meal is cooking is key to keeping your home safe from needing disaster restoration services from a house fire.
If your home does experience fire damage this winter, the technicians at ServiceMaster of Chesapeake can offer home disaster restoration services that will clean up your home and rid it of smoke or fire damage.