Image Description: Dog in the kitchen Pets are adorable companions. But they can pose a risk of fire damage and potentially risk their life and yours. Statistics show that pets are responsible for over 1000 house fires in the United States every year. This number is high enough for homeowners to worry about it.
Whether your pet lives indoors or outdoors, they can cause a fire. Pets, especially dogs and cats, are naturally curious animals that like to roam around. Unless they are under surveillance, it is close to impossible to stop them from getting into things; your cat might knock over your favorite lamp, and your dog might start chewing any items lying around.
Of course, pets don’t mean any harm when they do this, but that doesn’t mitigate the fire damage. Fire damage is not just costly, it is also seriously dangerous. If you encounter a fire, you will need professional fire and smoke damage restoration services.
If you have pets at home, here are some ways to prevent the risk of fire damage with pets to ensure their safety and yours.
Solution:
The best way to prevent fire damage with pets is to conceal any electrical cords with a protective covering. You will also find pet protective covering for cords in the market. To be safe, you should keep cords out of the reach of pets as it is dangerous.
If you like to light candles for their scent or glow, you need to be extra careful around pets, particularly cats. Cats are attracted by flames and might find their way towards the lit candle even if it is set higher out of the reach of dogs. Cats have the potential to knock over lit candles with their tail, potentially starting a serious fire. Through their antics, the cat can also catch fire, which can be deadly for them.
Solution:
You should only light candles around pets under your supervision. When you leave the room, even just to take a shower, never leave the flame on if you have a cat in the room. It would take just a few seconds for a cat to knock the candle over, causing a devastating house fire. Alternatively, you can also consider flameless candles that are inherently safer.
When your pets live indoors, it is practically impossible to keep them out of the kitchen. When they enter the kitchen, they incur the risk of a house fire. Cats can accidentally turn on knobs in an attempt to climb up a shelf. They can also jump on an active stove and catch fire. Dogs can accidentally turn on the knobs on the stove by jumping up excitedly. In both these instances, your home is at serious risk of fire.
Solution:
Since it’s tough to keep pets out of the kitchen, you can still pet-proof the kitchen for their safety and yours. You should either remove the knobs when the stove isn’t in use or use childproof covers as protection. Keep the kitchen door closed and locked when you leave the house so pets cannot get in there.
A fireplace is much needed during the harsh winter months. But if you have pets at home, the fireplace can become a potential threat of fire. Dogs might find the woodpile near the fireplace very attractive to play with, while the flames will attract cats. When pets are in close proximity to the fireplace, the embers might land on their fur, causing severe injury and fire damage.
Solution:
To prevent this, add a protective fire screen in front of the fireplace to protect pets from catching flames. In addition, keep any flammable objects away from the fireplace that your pet might bring closer to the fire. Fire damage leads to water damage which will require water damage restoration.
As summer approaches, you might be psyched to bring out the outdoor grill and cook delicious food. However, the combination of pets and an outdoor grill can quickly become a fire hazard. Dogs can accidentally knock the grill over, starting a fire. A cat may jump on the grill, catching fire.
Solution:
Given the risk, you should keep pets away from outdoor grills, or at least do not leave them unattended when the grill is in use.
Fires can cause severe destruction and also lead to water damage. You can partner with 911 restoration to give homeowners that have suffered a fire a fresh start. With extensive experience in the restoration business, they know how to handle other types of damage, including water damage restoration.
