Put off your chores long enough, and you just might have to answer to the fire marshal.
That’s because some things around the house become potential fire hazards. While the risk might not seem big, the National Fire Protection Association reports:
“Nearly one-quarter of the reported fires in 2019–2023 (24%) occurred in home environments. In addition, 70% of the civilian fire deaths and almost three-quarters of the reported civilian fire injuries (74%) during that period were caused by home structure fires.”
Don’t let that happen in your home. Following are examples of things around the house that are important to clean or keep clean to prevent a fire.
Toaster
Did you know your toaster has a crumb tray? If not, don’t feel bad — many people don’t.
But your toaster’s heating element gets up to 1,000 degrees, and that’s not great news for an accumulation of bread crumbs, says USA Today. It’s a fire hazard.
KitchenAid recommends cleaning the tray at least once a month.
Clothes dryer
“Clothes dryers are a major source of structural fires,” the U.S. National Park Service says. “15,500 clothes dryer fires occur annually, resulting in an average of 10 deaths, 310 injuries, and over $84 million in property damage.”
How does it happen? One major cause is people not emptying the lint trap. This reduces air flow, and the unit overheats.
Try to empty the lint trap after every load. You should also avoid putting clothes soiled with gasoline or grease in the dryer or anything with foam, rubber or plastic bits that can melt.
Learn more in “6 Things You Really Shouldn’t Put in a Clothes Dryer.”
Around your water heater
According to commercial and residential electricians JP Electric and Son, water heaters can be fire hazards due to installation errors, lack of maintenance, old age, gas leaks and proximity to stored flammable materials.
While the closets and basements that house our water heaters can be a tempting place to store things, it’s important to keep flammable clutter at least 3 feet away from your water heater, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Chimney
“Fireplace” — it’s in the name, right? But just because you have a designated place for fires doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to contain them.
“Chimney fires can burn explosively — noisy and dramatic enough to be detected by neighbors or people passing by. Flames or dense smoke may shoot from the top of the chimney. Homeowners report being startled by a low rumbling sound that reminds them of a freight train or a low flying airplane,” says the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA).
Many times, chimney fires don’t produce these dramatic signs, and if they don’t get out of hand, you might not even notice them.
It’s important to have your chimney professionally inspected and cleaned every year, according to CSIA.
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