Not very many people actually have a plan of action in case
they ever come face to face with a fire in their home. Since we’re very young,
it’s instilled in us that fires are bad and to be careful when playing with matches
or other such flammables. After all, when we think of house fires what probably
comes to mind is a candle tipping onto the tablecloth, near the curtains, or on
the couch—all of which can are set to ignite after contact.
Of course we don’t live in an age of wax or candles anymore
and these types of fires are rare to say the least. That isn’t to say that
fires don’t still occur within the household, but the cause of almost one-third
of fires that do occur are caused by faulty wiring, abused extension cords, or
electrical system problems.
As common as electrical fires are, most of us are not
properly equipped to handle an emergency situation—and hopefully we never have
to. That’s where safety and prevention play such a critical factor. It is far
better to catch potential electrical fire risks before they actually become a
dangerous, very real problem.
While most places experience electrical fires during the
winter months, when additional heating is necessary due to increased cold,
there is a somewhat different dynamic for the West Coast—where winters are mild
and summers are scorching. Most electrical fires in California take place
during the summer months when air conditioning, refrigeration, and
spinning/propeller fans are abused to try to keep cool.
One of the most important things to consider in preventing
electrical fires is the proper use of electrical outlets and extension cords.
Despite the fact that many extension cords have multiple slots available, it is
safer not to abuse the capacity of a single extension. Some things that we plug
into extension cords, such as external A/C, are meant to be plugged directly
into a wall outlet and the strain our cords endure ends up being too much and
could lead to overload and ignition.
Of course, there are heavy-duty cords available for those
situations where you need an extension cord for an air conditioner, but it is
also important to note that you shouldn’t use heavy-duty cords for general
purpose plugs, since that can also result in an unexpected and undesired fire.
If you are in doubt about whether or not your plugs are general purpose or not,
it is always more beneficial to hire a licensed electrician to evaluate your
electrical system and inspect the quality of your appliances.
