Five ways your home could be at risk of a fire without your knowledge

We all want to be safe in our own homes, but what many don’t realise is that the biggest potential threats often come from within. Each day there is an average of over 400 fires in the UK, so it’s crucial you keep on top of fire safety.

Given we live in homes full of electrical appliances and wiring, there’s a chance of a fire if you’re not careful. This is because of faulty or not looked-after equipment, which is a living hazard without your knowledge. 

So our property experts from Household Quotes, have revealed five ways your home could be at risk of a fire without you knowing.

Fairy lights are a popular decorative feature in homes, particularly in bedrooms as they provide a light that isn’t overpowering like bigger lights. However, you should make sure to turn off the lights when you leave your home or go to sleep. This is because the little bulbs in fairy lights heat up very quickly, and on rare occasions, this could cause a fire. Do regular inspections to make sure that the lights are in good working order, if not then replace them as they can be bought very affordably. 

Certain people cannot function properly without their toast in the morning, however a toaster comes with a few safety issues. It’s common knowledge that you can’t put metal inside the toaster, as that would cause an explosive reaction. But what's lesser known is that crumbs can build up at the bottom, which over time will burn creating smoke or potentially a fire. A way to prevent this is regular cleaning, every few days unplug the toaster and sweep away any crumbs.

Bedrooms contain highly flammable materials, these include; curtains, bed sheets and rugs. Meaning that any fire that does start can spread very quickly, potentially preventing escape. A fire can occur in your bedroom for several reasons, this could be an electrical issue or an open flame. When lighting candles in your room make sure you keep an eye on it at all times, don’t sleep with it lit and blow it out if you’re going to sit in another room. You could also invest in fireproof material, such as fireproof curtains, carpets and bed sheets for extra safety.

You’ll often find that you have too many electrical appliances for the number of plugs in your home, so a solution to this might be to use a master plug extension. However, using too many high-power appliances at once might cause the masterplug to overheat, which can lead to a fire. It’s important that you unplug devices that you are not using, as they can still take up electricity and overload the extension without your knowledge.

Tumble dryers are one of the most common appliances where fires start. Lint can accumulate which is highly flammable and blocks outside air from entering, ultimately increasing the temperature of the tumble dryer. This can be avoided by cleaning the lint filter after every use. Overloading can be another problem, it causes the engine to work hard, which can cause overheating. Always follow the suggested loads in the tumble dryer manual or the information they provide online.

‘’The peace of mind that we are safe in our own homes is very important. The risk of a fire is small, however it is a real threat. So you must identify the areas that could potentially be fire-prone if not looked after. 

Provide regular checkups on the electrical appliances in your home, and if anything doesn’t seem right then don’t take a chance. Call a professional or replace the item depending on the cost.’’