How Do I Prevent an Electrical Fire?
A fire may easily start in your home from a cooking mishap or even an unattended fireplace or candle. But a potential fire source that is often overlooked or forgotten about is electrical equipment. That is, an electrical fire may start with an electrical fault or malfunction in a wire, outlet, or appliance that subsequently ignites surrounding flammable materials. So, what starts off as a single flame on a single electrical cord may cause devastating damage to a significant portion of your property. Without further introduction, please continue reading to learn how to prevent an electrical fire in your home and how one of the experienced New York residential fire damage claim attorneys at The Law Office of Craig A. Blumberg, P.C., can help if you require help obtaining insurance coverage.
How can I prevent an electrical fire in my home?
Notably, the United States Fire Administration educates on important appliance and electrical fire safety for your home. According to the National Fire Incident Reporting System, the leading reason for such fires from 2018 to 2020 was a failure to clean a clothes dryer, its exhaust duct, and its lint trap from lint buildup. So, the first word of advice is to clean the lint trap after every load of laundry and the exhaust duct at least once a year, more if you have a large family and do heavy and frequent loads. With that, more tips to adopt are as follows:
- You should plug major appliances directly into a wall outlet (i.e., refrigerator, stove, clothes washer, etc).
- You should keep anything flammable a safe distance away from light fixtures and light bulbs.
- You should use light bulbs that match the recommended wattage for the lamp or light fixture.
- You should not overload outlets or power strips.
- You should replace wall outlets if plugs no longer fit snugly.
- You should only use power strips that have internal overload protection.
- You should replace damaged extension cords and avoid placing them in areas where they can get damaged.
What should I do if my home gets electrical fire damage?
Even when overly cautious of your home’s fire safety, you may never know when a faulty or malfunctioning electrical wire, outlet, or appliance may spark and ignite. So, if you unfortunately experience electrical fire damage in your home, you may make an insurance claim for your losses. Even with only detecting partial losses, though, hidden damages may have the devastation more surmountable than face value. This is why ensuring that your insurance company conducts a proper and in-depth inspection of your property is in your best interest.
In the end, if you are ready to repair or rebuild your home, please retain the services of one of the skilled New York residential property damage claim attorneys. Our team at The Law Office of Craig A. Blumberg, P.C., awaits your phone call.
