Preventing Residential Fires NY

According to the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the leading cause of fires in residential homes in the state is cooking equipment. These fires often occur due to a lack of attention while cooking, such as leaving the stove or oven unattended, or placing flammable materials too close to the heat source.

To prevent fires from happening in the kitchen, it is important to always keep an eye on your cooking and never leave the kitchen while food is on the stove or in the oven. Additionally, it is important to keep flammable materials, such as paper towels or curtains, away from the stove and oven.

Another common cause of fires in residential homes is heating equipment. These fires often occur due to a lack of maintenance on heating systems, such as not cleaning or inspecting the equipment. To prevent fires from happening due to heating equipment, it is important to have your heating system inspected and serviced regularly by a professional. Additionally, it is important to make sure that any flammable materials are kept away from heating equipment.

Smoking is another common cause of fires in residential homes. These fires often occur due to carelessly disposing of cigarettes, such as not properly extinguishing them or leaving them near flammable materials. To prevent fires from happening due to smoking, it is important to always properly extinguish cigarettes and never leave them unattended. Additionally, it is important to make sure that any flammable materials, such as curtains or furniture, are kept away from smoking areas.

Lastly, Electrical fires are a common cause of fires in residential homes. These fires often occur due to electrical equipment, such as appliances or wiring, that is not properly maintained or installed. To prevent fires from happening due to electrical equipment, it is important to make sure that all electrical equipment is properly maintained and installed by a professional. Additionally, it is important to make sure that any flammable materials, such as curtains or furniture, are kept away from electrical equipment.

In summary, the most common causes of fires in residential homes in New York State are cooking equipment, heating equipment, smoking and electrical equipment. To prevent fires from happening, it is important to always keep an eye on cooking, make sure heating equipment is properly maintained, properly extinguish cigarettes and make sure that electrical equipment is properly maintained and installed by a professional. Additionally, it is important to keep flammable materials away from heat sources and electrical equipment.