Common causes of house fires and how to prevent them

There’s a famous meme of a young girl smiling enigmatically at the camera while a house is burning in the background. It’s creepy, a bit funny, and a whole lot disturbing on a practical level because a house is really on fire! (The photo, called “Disaster Girl,” incidentally sold for half a million dollars as an NFT.) This meme comes to mind when March rolls along as it is Fire Prevention Month in the Philippines and the perfect time to take stock of the safety of your house.

If you’re a millennial living on your own now, this is one of the first things you should do as an adult. (Yes, buy a fire extinguisher before a designer coffee machine!) If you’ve been living in your own house for years but never gave house fires a thought, well, it’s time you did. (It might also help to declutter your rooms so there’s less kindle for fire to spread.)

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) recorded 336 fire incidents in the country last year, up from 2021’s 333 cases. According to the BFP, electrical post fire was the top cause of fires with 102 cases; followed by grassfire at 87; residential, 76; vehicle/special structure, 25; rubbish fire, 24; commercial, 8; storage, 5; business/government offices and industrial factory, 3 each; places of assembly, 2; and mixed-type occupancy, 1.

A fire can be traumatic and devastating to one’s financial and mental wellbeing. Most people don’t have life or home insurance, and are therefore left with absolutely nothing when a fire destroys their house. And worse when a family member dies in the fire accident.

At the very least, you should have an emergency fund that you can live on while you’re getting back on your feet. A better preparation is to actually be insured. FWD Life Insurance’s Set for Life gives you life insurance and accidental death coverage—while growing your money. For other life insurance products that help protect your physical and financial wellbeing, check out FWD’s online shop at shop.fwd.com.ph.

Fire and prevention

Many fires start at night and a smoke alarm is your only chance at survival. Install smoke alarms in the kitchen, bedrooms and common areas—and ensure that their batteries are working by checking them twice or thrice a year. Also have a fire extinguisher handy. Most importantly, you must have a way to escape your house. Identify these escapes and do practice drills with your family.  

Here are the three common causes of house fires and how you can prevent them.

1. Faulty electrical wiring

 Many Filipinos live in old houses whose electrical wiring is not checked or updated. Warning signs that your wiring may be faulty include fuses that frequently blow or lights that dim when you use another appliance. The BFP said that in 2022, fire incidents due to faulty wiring jumped by almost 13% compared to 2021.

Prevention: Check that your appliances don’t have loose or frayed cords and that your circuit breaker doesn’t trip often. Look for lights that flicker or switches that get hot. Don’t overload your outlets with appliances and gadgets.

2. Unattended kitchen

 Many things can distract you while you’re cooking—texting, scrolling social media on your phone, watching TV or attending to things in another part of the house while waiting for your meat to tenderize. Never leave an open flame on your stove unattended for long.   

Prevention: If you need to be in another room for a few minutes, set an alarm to remind you to check on your pot.

3. Candles

 A lit candle during brownout can start a fire especially when it’s unattended and close to flammable materials like curtains or blankets. We sadly hear of fire incidents that started from candles and some of them wipe out entire housing blocks; worse, people suffer from untimely death.

Prevention: Never forget to put out candles before sleeping.

Like with anything in life, being prepared and protected is key to survival. Set an appointment with an FWD financial advisor to find out what kind of insurance product suit your needs, lifestyle, and goals.