Garage Fires

4/24/2019 (Permalink)

In our area we have seen an increase in garage fires. Every year, there are 6,600 garage fires in homes that result in an average of $457 million in property loss with the leading cause being electrical malfunction. The following are some tips to follow to help prevent a garage fire from happening to you.

• Store oil, gasoline, paints, propane and varnishes in a shed away from your home.
• Keep items that can burn on shelves away from appliances.
• Plug only one charging appliance into an outlet.
• Don’t use an extension cord when charging an appliance.
• Keep the garage tidy and remove clutter.
• Install a heat alarm as these will sound if the temperature rises too high.
• Do not use or install solid-fuel burning devices such as wood, pellet, or coal in garages where gasoline and other flammable vapors may be present.