Like Agriculture, Fire is one of the most important discoveries in the history of civilization; Hindus and even Parsi have been worshiping ‘Fire’ i.e. Agni as one of the ‘God’. i.e. Devtas. It is considered pious.
Fire is a Simple process in which a fuel is ignited and it gives light, heat and a flame. That is why fire is very useful to people since ancient time. They can be used for light and warmth but at the same time fire can be dangerous and even deadly.
Fire spreads so fast that even a small fire can go out of control in less than a minute. It takes just a few minutes for whole house to get filled with smoke or go up in flames.
Causes of Fire
Here are the most common causes of fire and must learn how to protect your family and home against fire.
01. Cooking Equipment
Cooking is one of the main reasons for igniting a fire in the house. Most fires in kitchen occur because people get distracted and leave their cooking unattended. When a pot or pan overheats or splatters greases, Oil, Ghee etc. it can catch the fire quickly.
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02. Heating
Portable Heaters are also the reason for fire hazards. Always make sure that heater is located away from Curtains, rugs, cloths or other materials/eatables/groceries that may easily catch fire.
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03. Smoking
Smoking can be the most dangerous thing for fire. Smoking is a major cause of residential fires. People fall asleep while smoking and put their cigarettes on bed, chair or couch which can quickly catch fire.
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04. Candles
Burning candles look and smell pretty, but it can be very hazardous.They can burst into flame quickly. Your candles, therefore, should be kept away from anything that can burn soon, such as magazines, books, tablecloths and other easily combustible materials. This is the one of the Main reason for damages to property.
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05.Faulty Wiring
Fires have occurred due to faulty wiring or outlet overload. If you plug the device into an outlet with a defective cable, it can cause a spark and can fire too. Especially if your home’s wiring is old. The Possibility of this kind of fire is more.
Faulty Sockets / Appliances, Light Fixtures & Fittings, Extension Leads, Outdated Wiring Systems can cause a fire from electrical hazards in our home.
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06.Electrical Equipment
An electrical appliance, such as toaster, Microwave, Mixture Machine can catch fire if it is faulty or has a faulty cord. A power point that is overloaded with double adapter plugs can cause a Fire from overuse of electricity. If the PowerPoint extension is not used properly it can also cause fire.
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07.Flammable liquids
Flammable liquids get too hot and catch fire in seconds & spread in microseconds. They cause either fire or blast. If you have any flammable liquids in the home or garage such as petrol, kerosene, fuels, solvents, cleaning agents, thinners, adhesives, paints, and other liquids keep them away from heat or fire sources because they can catch fire quickly in no time.
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08.Curious Children
Children are naturally curious, and they would equally like to understand fire. When kids play with lighter and matches, they do not understand the dangers of fire. They then become responsible for the small or large accidental fires.
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09.Dried leaves
You should regularly clean the areas inside and around your home. You should immediately remove dried leaves, wood sprinklers and other things that can quickly catch the fire.
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10.Gas Leak
House LPG bottles are usually stored inside the house. Gas leaks from the gas application, connection or fittings Gas from the leak is accumulated in limited space, and that is what catches fire or explodes suddenly.
Natural gas has become a widespread energy source because it is highly combustible, which means that it can produce large amounts of heat when you burn even in small amounts. A natural gas spreads quickly and combusts easily, so Gas leakage also leads to various accidents and fire disaster.
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Damage to Home Due to Fire
The extent of fire damage mainly depends upon the intensity of the fire that has caused it. If a short circuit or gas leakage caused the fire, it can spread rapidly, which means that losses will be devastating.
Fire damage can be observed in many different forms and types. The resulting damage is not always due to the fire alone, it is sometimes a combination of smoke or heat.
It mainly depends upon i) Fuel, i.e. which Fuel has caused the fire.
ii) Temperature of fire.
iii) Duration of fire.
The fire temperature may range from 200°C to 1200°C, However, the average house fire burns at a temperature of about 585°C (1100°F) which is not hot enough to destroy most metals and earthly-made substances. So if house is made by concrete & bricks, most probably it will not damage the structure of the house, unless the duration is more and causes high temperature, House will not invite sudden collapse. But if the structure is of wood, it can invite collapse and calamities.
Conclusion
Thus Causes of fire are both natural and human. Most of the Fires are caused due to people’s carelessness. Due to these many houses get destroyed. If people remain more careful, they would prevent fires and save their dream home and life savings.
