What Causes House Fires In Cedar Rapids And How To Prevent Them

As a homeowner, one of the biggest threats to your home and loved ones is the chance of fire. The U.S. Fire Administration estimated in 2019 that American homeowners suffered nearly $1.6 billion in damages by means of unintentional or unattended fires. Unfortunately, fires are unpredictable and many times avoidable -- with a little knowledge of where to look. And, fortunately, you have a monitored fire alarm that sends you emergency responders ASAP if you ever have an incident.

What Causes House Fires In Cedar Rapids?

Fires can happen anywhere without notice in the house. However, you can lower the danger of a blaze if you take countermeasures around the following objects:

• Stoves and Ovens: Cooking is the leading cause, by a huge margin, of a house fire in Cedar Rapids. Kitchen-related fires most often result when the kitchen is left neglected while cooking food. Water tossed on a grease fire will expand a flame that would alternatively be easily handled.
  
  
• Candles: Nodding off in a room with a burning candle is risky, even when you use a high-sided candle holder. The flame can blow and catch a curtain ablaze if left on a window sill, and pets can bump into candles while exploring. The National Fire Protection Association approximates that just over 7,600 properties were damaged because of candle-related incidents between 2014-2018.
  
  
• Electrical wires: Corroded electrical circuit interrupters, “tamper-resistant” electrical outlets, degrading or poorly installed lighting, and frayed lamp cords is a big risk. Be sure not to overload your outlets or plug anything in with bare wiring. On the off chance you hear popping or smell smoke from the outlet, flip the breaker off prior to checking it out.

• Space Heaters: Avoid coiled space heaters because junk, like pet fur, paper or plastic scraps, or blankets can find their way in and spark up. However, you should also check on fan and ceramic space heaters for the entire duration of use.

• Cigarettes: Solely in 2014, U.S. fire departments responded to more than 17,000 house fires started by smoking paraphernalia. So if you have a smoker in the house, make sure they never fall asleep with a cigarette or lay in bed with one. And fully extinguish your cigarette prior to placing it into a trash can.

A Monitored Smoke Detector Will Help When There’s A Fire

If a fire does spark, you definitely want to have an effective warning system to inform your loved ones as soon as possible. A traditional smoke alarm is adequate but is limited to alerting you if smoke is in thick clouds. A state-of-the-art fire alarm -- a security device that's tied to your home security devices -- is powerful enough to detect both smoke and climbing heat and can do more to ensure everyone is safe.

A monitored fire alarm has several ways it can inform you of smoke. Your alarms can alert your loved ones with an ear-piercing tone and a notification to your mobile device. That’s when your always-on monitoring experts reaches out to the fire department. And if you're ever somewhere where you can't get home when a fire starts, you can be reassured that your monitoring agent can help coordinate communication between you and emergency personnel.

Protect Your Home With Monitored Fire Alarms From Secure24 Alarm Systems

The chance of house fires in Cedar Rapids should never be underestimated, but you can rest easier if you install a monitored fire alarm on hand. Contact Secure24 Alarm Systems, and we’ll help you install all the fire alarms you need with a state-of-the-art home security system. Call (319) 214-2293 or send in the form below to begin.