A vast majority of house fires start in the kitchen and are a result of cooking accidents. It is very important, therefore, to be prudent and cautious when operating any kind of kitchen appliance that utilizes gas, heat or fire. Routine maintenance and visual inspection of built in appliances like your oven and microwave is a pretty decent method of prevention of residential fires that originate in the kitchen. Also helpful is being aware or the goings on in your kitchen, whether you are the cook or not. Be wary of anything that is left on, and make an effort to mentally check off each thing you have turned on that involves heat, after use. 42% of house fires originate in the kitchen and these fires are the cause of 38% of human injury from fire in their home.

A small percentage (only 4%) of fires starts in the living room or common areas of the home. However, the types of fires that do start here are typically very dangerous and have resulted in 28% of deaths. Similarly, fires that start in the bedroom (7%) cause 25% of home deaths. Furnaces are dangerous if not annually inspected by a technician. In the winter, small, plug-in heaters can also cause residential fires. Make sure when you are using space heaters that they are placed away from loose fabric like curtains or bedding. These and furnaces should both be uncovered and free standing-not touching other items of furniture or clothing and placed out of the way where it will be difficult for them to be knocked about to where they may accidentally make contact with a flammable material.

Inside smoking is the leader in the cause of residential fires and civilian home fire deaths. Most fires start while residents are at home, between the hours of 5pm and 8pm (dinner time). Caution in the kitchen and avoiding smoking inside at night could result in the lessened probability of your house catching on fire!

Flammable liquids and candles are a reoccurring cause of house fires. Flammable liquids like gasoline, solvents and cleaning materials should be kept in a cool, dry storage area, away from anything that might even think about spontaneously combusting into flames. Candles should be carefully maintained and kept away from loose fabric. Never leave a candle burning overnight.

Many fires can be prevented by attentive carefulness but sometimes faulty wiring is to blame. To avoid the cause of fires by poorly engineered electrical wiring, implement regular inspections in your home owner routine.