What Causes Electrical Fires?

While there are many causes of house and business property fires, the leading cause of these fires is typically blamed on electrical hazards. Studies show that electrical fires cause close to $800 million in property losses, injure close to 2,500 Americans and take the lives of 500 more. More than one-third of these fires have a cause that is directly traceable back to defects in either electrical products or faulty wiring. The remaining electrical fires are started because of poorly maintained electrical products, incorrectly installed wiring and overloaded circuits or extension cords.

Firefighters explain there are three components present in every fire, they are: fuel, heat and oxygen. If any one of the three is missing, the fire cannot be sustained and in an electrical fire, it is the electricity that is the heat component. In some cases, electrical fires begin due to faulty house wiring or failure in the wiring of appliances.

Here are the five most common causes of electrical fires:

1. Lamps, light bulbs and the light fixtures themselves are a cause of electrical fires. If you use a light bulb that is too high a wattage for the lamp, it can lead to an electrical fire. Check the maximum wattage on your lighting fixtures before choosing a light bulb. Another bit of common sense is to keep flammable materials away from the bulbs – don’t put fabric or paper over the top of the lampshade.
2. Faulty electrical outlets and outdated appliances are other causes of fires. Don’t use appliances that have frayed cords or cords that show any sign of wear. Also, never run cords under carpeting and don’t remove the extra prong from a three prong plug, the third prong is to ground the outlet and to enable the appliance to handle the additional electricity.
3. Extension cord misuse is another contributing factor to electrical fires. An appliance needs to be plugged directly into a wall socket – not an extension cord. If your home is not equipped with the correct outlets, you need to contact a qualified electrician to install new ones to accommodate your appliance needs.
4. Many electrical fires are caused from having outdated wiring in the home. If your home or apartment is more than 20 years old, it may not have the capacity to handle the amount of electrical needs you are asking of it. When you consider the amount of electrical appliances you have in your home – televisions, kitchen appliances, DVD players, microwaves and air conditioners – your electrical outlets may be pushed to the limit. If your breakers go off, it is a clear sign that your home’s electrical system can no longer handle the demands you’re placing on it.
5. In certain areas of the state, space heaters are the culprit in many home fires. These heaters, because they are portable, are not used with as much caution as is necessary. These items sometimes are placed too close to curtains, bed sheets, clothing and furniture and it can almost instantly ignite flammable materials within its vicinity. Use space heaters with extreme caution and only according to the instructions they come with.

If you have any concerns about your home’s electrical system, you need to contact us at Cirtcele Electric so we can come and give your home a thorough inspection.

Currently we are running a St. Patrick’s Day Special (for the month of March), which is 50% off of your next residential electrical service call, so there is no better time than now to get your home electrical system in order.