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HOME FIRES CAUSED BY WIRING
Annually there are over 67,000 fires in homes accounting for
over $800 million property damage and many of the fires could have been
prevented. In addition to this, almost
500 people lose their lives and more than 2000 are injured in these fires.. This is a tremendous toll of damage to
properties and people. With more diligence these numbers could be reduced
dramatically.
Most home owners assume they are immune to home fires because
the house is new or only adults live there. With improving building codes,
fires have been reduced, but home electrical wiring is still a major cause of
home fires. Old wiring, faulty outlets, damaged appliance cords, over and wrong
use of extension cords, overloading circuits are but a few causes of these
fires. Wiring causes more fires than electrical appliances such as electric
ranges and ovens, dryers, radios, TVs, record players and sometimes the central
heating unit.
Even in our busy lives and sometimes denial, there are some
things we should do to protect our lives and property. Here are but a few:
check the wiring of your electrical appliances if it is viewable. The major problem here is frayed,
cracked or cut sheathing. If you
find this problem, replace the damaged cord immediately. If an appliance
has a three-prong plug, DO NOT force it into a 2 slot outlet or extension
cord. Do not power appliances with
long extension cords unless the cord is properly rated. Often long cords also become hazards if
they extend into traffic patterns. Don’t risk breaking wires by pinching
them behind furniture or stretching them to a TV, entertainment center,
etc.
overload wall sockets and if children are present, child proof the
sockets.
touch a wall light switch and it is warm or hot, it needs to be
replaced. If you have lights that
flicker when they are turned on by the wall switch, this is an indication
that the switch should be replaced.
should not be allowed to play around electrical appliances such as space
heaters or even hair dryers and irons. Keep children at least 3 feet away
from a space heater for fear they may turn it over or get close enough for
their clothes to catch fire. An electric iron can be the source of a home
fire if not properly used and many younger children do not understand
this.
newer homes have circuit breaker switches in bathrooms and kitchens. This
is a safety measure because water is near-by. Never use appliances near wet floors or
counters even if your home has these breakers.
holiday seasons such as Christmas, use special precautions when using
extension cords. There is always
the tendency to plug too much into too little, and if lights are left on
when away from home, you are inviting trouble.
Even with the most diligence, it is expedient that fire
extinguishes recommended for electrical fires be placed strategically around
the house and all members of the family become familiar with their use.
Some foresight and frequent inspection is well worth the
time and energy spent! Protect yourself ,
your family and your property!
About the author
Tags: appliance cords, central heating, denial, diligence, electric ranges, electrical appliances, extension cord, extension cords, home electrical wiring, home fires, mso, orphan, ovens, prong plug, radios, sheathing, style definitions, style name, times new roman, tvs
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Tags: appliance cords, central heating, denial, diligence, electric ranges, electrical appliances, extension cord, extension cords, home electrical wiring, home fires, mso, orphan, ovens, prong plug, radios, sheathing, style definitions, style name, times new roman, tvs
September 17th, 2008 at 8:25 am
It seems that concrete insulated forms (CIF’s) are the key to prevent damage from fire. They seemed to have performed well in hurricanes and floods.