Fall Fire Hazards

10/6/2020 (Permalink)

As the air grows drier and the temperatures drop lower in the fall, the risk of fire hazards increases. In addition to beautiful foliage and a change of weather, fall also brings a variety of fire safety risks that you should be aware of and take preventive steps to reduce the risk of fire damage occurring. Check out the following tips to minimize the number of fire hazards you experience this season:

Remove flammable debris from your lawn

Deciduous trees shed their leaves during the fall months, and dry, dead leaves act as excellent kindling. While this may be great for starting any carefully monitored campfires or bonfires to gather around, letting this flammable debris accumulate in your lawn makes your yard very vulnerable to fire in the event that any of the debris were to catch a flame. To reduce this fire hazard, make it a routine to periodically (think every 2-3 weeks) rake up the leaves and twigs in your lawn and remove them. 

Clean your dryer vent

Did you know that your dryer has an external vent where lint builds up over time? Every fall, start the habit of cleaning this dryer vent or hiring a professional to do so. Especially with an increase in static electricity in the air during the autumn months due to low humidity and dryer weather, this lint is far more susceptible to sparking and causing a fire. Cleaning your dryer vent in the fall can help you reduce the risk of this happening.

Monitor candles, space heaters, and other flames and heat sources closely

Chillier weather during the fall often means that you’ll start running space heaters and other heat sources like furnaces and fireplaces to warm your home. Fall also often means that you’ll light candles more often to make things cozy. All of these flames and heat sources have the potential to start fires if left unmonitored. Like your dryer vent, any space heaters should be regularly cleaned and turned off when not in use. As a general rule of thumb, don’t leave a candle or your fireplace unattended if you’re not in the room. It’s always a good idea to blow out, turn off, or extinguish any flames or heat-generating sources when you leave your home, go to sleep, or leave the room where they’re located for an extended period of time.

Hire a professional to inspect your fireplace, chimney, and furnace

Before firing up your fireplace, chimney, or furnace for fall use, hire a professional to inspect and clean them so you don’t accidentally allow any fires to spark or spring out of control. This also rings true for wood and coal stoves. It’s very possible to start fires in your chimney by burning the wrong materials in any of your stoves or fireplaces, and you should never use gasoline to start fires in any fireplaces or stoves inside your home, either. Doing so increases the risk of initiating fire damage.

As you enjoy this season, stay vigilant and aware of all of these fall fire hazards to ensure your family’s safety and reduce the likelihood of an unfortunate event occurring. In the event that you do experience a fire this autumn, our team of professionals at SERVPRO of Belle Meade/West Nashville is trained and equipped to help you with any fire or smoke damage that comes your way. We’re available 24/7, 365 days of the year, and we’re ready to help at a moment’s notice. Just dial (615) 242-9391.