Cause of House Fires – What are the causes of house fires? A fire is an event where fire is ignited in an unwanted and uncontrollable item or area, causing material and immaterial losses.

Before discussing the causes, it is important to understand the classification of fires based on their primary source of fuels:

Class A: fires started by solid objects – such as wood.
Class B: liquid fuel and gas fires.
Class C: electrical fires.
Class D: fires in metals, such as magnesium.
Class K: fires in cooking oils and fats.

Broadly speaking, the factors that trigger fires are divided into human negligence, natural disasters, and intentional.

Cause of House Fires

1. Cooking

The most common cause of house fires is during cooking. And one of the factors is the leakage of LPG cylinders installed in every house, cooking using highly flammable oil, and many more.

Usually, these fires occur due to the accumulation of grease in the oven, stove or cookware which can suddenly catch fire.

In addition, the number of electronic equipment such as ovens, air fryers, and so on is also a factor that makes many fires occur at home especially in the kitchen.

To avoid this, make sure to always clean the remaining grease that may be left in the oven, turn off electronic equipment in the kitchen when not in use, check the installation of LPG cylinders and install a smoke detector.

2. Candles or Cigarettes

Seemingly trivial items, such as candles and cigarette butts, can cause serious house fires.

Hence, there are often warnings not to leave candles burning for too long in the house and to always ensure that cigarette butts are completely extinguished before disposing of them.

Both have the potential to start fires that can cause enormous harm if not handled with care.

This danger becomes more apparent when candles or cigarette butts are near flammable items or those that can conduct heat.

If an abandoned flame strikes such items, an initially small fire can quickly grow and spread throughout the room, resulting in a widespread fire.

Therefore, it is very important to limit the use of candles in the house and ensure that cigarette butts are completely extinguished before disposal to maintain safety and prevent fires.

Also Read: “How to Put Out Electrical Fire: A Safe Guide“

3. Electrical

A common trigger for Class C fires in the home is an electrical short circuit. Short circuits in the main electrical installation, sockets, and electronic devices are the things that cause electrical fires.

These short circuits have the potential to cause sparks that can grow larger if not handled quickly.

However, the cause of electrical short circuits that result in fires can still be overcome with a lightweight fire extinguisher that uses dry powder or dry chemical powder, this tool is effective for stopping fires due to electrical short circuits.

Other than that, choosing the high quality electrical equipment, such as the one that has already been tested and certified by the SNI certification can also be a preventive measurement to short circuit that can lead to fire.

4. Chemical

Chemical fires in homes usually occur in two ways: a chemical that makes direct contact with an open flame or heat source; or through spontaneous combustion when chemicals combine with oxygen to produce enough heat for an ignition.

The most common household chemical that causes a fire is gasoline. Sometimes this highly-flammable chemical is kept or used with improper caution.

The gasoline (and other chemicals) should be stored in their original containers and sealed properly at all times to prevent spillage that can cause fire.

Other than that, it’s advisable to keep gasoline far away from heat, electrical sources, furnaces, stove and other chemicals with which could cause flames.

There you have it! The cause of house fires so you can take a better precaution to protect you and your whole family!

Cause of House Fires