The heat from the sunlight is more intense when passing through glass.

No one wants to experience a house fire.  Fires are among the most dangerous and destructive disasters that can happen to a home.  Fortunately, homeowners can drastically reduce their risk of experiencing a fire with responsible behavior.  Cooking, candles, bad electronics, and malfunctioning appliances that generate heat such as dryers and furnaces are among the most common causes of house fires.  Many homeowners take the right precautions to avoid home fires when cooking or using these objects.  However, your fire prevention effort should not stop there.  Here are five other causes of fire that are less likely but still deserve your attention.

Glass and Sunlight

If you have ever burned ants with a magnifying glass as a child, you know that the heat from sunlight intensifies as it passes through glass.  This same effect can occur in your home as sunlight passes through your windows or other glass objects.  If sunlight passing through a particular window or glass object hits some flammable material on the other side such as paper or fabric, there is a possibility that this could lead to a fire.  The best way to prevent fires from glass is to put glass objects in shaded areas and make sure that sunlight coming through your window does not hit anything flammable.

Dishwashers

Many homeowners are already aware of the potential for their appliances to start a fire.  One appliance that may be overlooked in this regard is the dishwasher.  The dishwasher does not generate heat like a furnace or hot water heater, but it does use water that can cause an electrical fire if it drips onto your internal components.  You can prevent fires caused by the dishwasher by keeping it well maintained and having it inspected at least once per year.

9-Volt Batteries

When you think of common causes of house fires, batteries do not immediately come to mind.  However, 9-volt batteries in particular pose a fire hazard because the battery can become conductive if its posts touch a metal object.  If a 9-volt battery comes into contact with something metal and then touches something flammable, this could result in a fire.  Make sure you cover the battery posts with a piece of tape before disposing of them to reduce the risk of a fire.

Laptops

Keep your laptop on a cool surface.

Laptops are another possible cause of house fires because they generate so much heat when operating.  This heat is most likely to cause a fire if the laptop is resting on something flammable such as a couch or bed for an extended period of time.  You can reduce the risk of a fire by keeping your laptop on a safe surface.

Dust

Dust is an unwelcome presence because it makes homes dirty and contributes to allergies and other health issues.  Too much dust in certain areas is also a fire hazard.  The heat from electrical outlets, electronics, and appliances can cause dust to start on fire, especially if there are sparks.  You can dramatically decrease the risk of a fire from dust by cleaning your home regularly and removing dust from areas near outlets and electronics.

Homeowners should always make fire prevention a point of emphasis and knowing these unlikely causes of house fires can help you better protect your home.  It is very rare for these factors to trigger a house fire but because the possibility is there, you must take the right actions to reduce the risk of a fire.  If you do experience any amount of fire damage in your home, you must call a fire damage restoration professional immediately.  These professionals have the right tools and equipment to stop the damage from spreading and restore your home.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.