Tips for Avoiding Fire Damage Year-Round in Central Seattle Homes

9/12/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO says--space heaters can cause fire damage to your Seattle area home or business.

SERVPRO Brings Professional Fire Damage Restoration Services Available 24/7 to Central Seattle Properties

According to the Insurance Information Institute, a house fire occurs in the United States every 87 seconds. While not every Central Seattle fire can be prevented, many of them could have been avoided or stopped early on with the right monitoring equipment, knowledge, and tools to extinguish it. This can greatly reduce fire damage.

There are many different ways fire damage can occur within a Seattle home, and SERVPRO has tips to lessen the potential for the need for house fire cleanup services. A little time spent preparing can avoid the cost of fire damage restoration. 

Holiday Season Fire Hazards

While the holiday season is a time of joy, it also comes with a lot of potential fire damage. Christmas trees, in particular, are common causes. Natural trees need to get watered, and the needles should not dry out. The heat from the lights or a spark can set the tree ablaze. Artificial trees are not always constructed using fire retardant materials, and decorations that can overheat should not be in direct contact with the materials of the limbs. No matter what type of tree gets used, homeowners should never leave the lights on unattended. Decorations such as lights hung outside the home should use UL-approved cords and waterproof weather cases around extension cord connections. Prevent fire damage from setting your seasonal hopes up in smoke.

Candle and Space Heater Dangers

When used safely, a space heater is ideal for heating a cold area in the home. To avoid fire damage, consumers should look for space heaters that have the following features: 

• Space heaters should be plugged directly into a wall outlet without the use of an extension cord or 3-prong adaptors
• Inspect the cord and plug occasionally during operation to ensure it is not becoming too hot
• Keep flammable materials and textiles at least 3 feet away from the unit or expect fire damage

While space heaters bring warmth into a home, candles bring the appearance of warmth, ambiance, and pleasant scents. Candles should never be left burning unattended, particularly if there are pets or children in the home. Much like a space heater, the heat from a candle can ignite nearby fabrics or flammable materials and cause minor to major fire damage. Homeowners should burn candles away from anything that could easily ignite, such as curtains, lampshades, books, clothing, or dried flowers arrangements.

Local homeowners should install smoke alarms in each room in the home and test them monthly to ensure they are working. A family escape plan for how to get out of the house in the event of a blaze and where to meet, including pets. Practicing this plan at least a few times a year can work to save lives. 

Benefits of Outsourcing Fire Damage Restoration Services

SERVPRO technicians treat every fire damage restoration service uniquely while following the systems of science upon which they are based. Cleaning fire and smoke damage, soot removal, and fire odor removal are crucial aspects of their detailed assistance.

Seattle residents rely on SERVPRO of Central Seattle at (206) 282-9500 for any size and type of fire damage restoration needed to make it "Like it never even happened."