'Tis The Season

2/14/2022 (Permalink)

Fire damage was minimal in this home, but smoke damage was not.

A house fire can occur any time during the year, but fall and winter areconsidered peak season. The colder times of the year send people indoors, and more people indoors leads to the use of more appliances and more activity. Smoking materials, including cigarettes, pipes, and cigars were responsible for a high numberof house fires,meaning the participants didn't want to go out in the cold, but it's a particularly dangerous choice.

Winter storms can lead to outages, causing people to seek alternative sources of heat. Space heaters, ovens, and fireplaces are behind many destroyed residences, as are dryers that hadn't been cleared of lint. Candles also come out during outages, and are responsible for a high number of fires per year.

Candles also come out for another reason, and that's the holidays that roll around during the winter months. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's are exactly the worst time to go through a fire, and yet, are the peak of fire season. Christmas lights on trees or otherwise, can lead to electrical fires. Tree fires could be the lights, or any heating source put too close to a tree, especially if it is dry. Improper handling of fireworks can also lead to problems. Last but definitely not least, is cooking. The holidays lead to a lot of cooking, and cooking causes fires. Some sources say there are three times more cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day, than any other day of the year.

Exercise fire safety all the days of the year, and call SERVPRO of Brandon if fire or smoke causes damages to your home. 601-829-2162