Spring and Summer Bring an Increased Risk of Fires

4/15/2020 (Permalink)

If your property is damage by forest fires SERVPRO of South Atlanta is only a phone call away!

Many people think the risk of fire decreases in the summer, but the risks for natural and accidental fires remain the same. In the summer, the most common types of fires are caused by people using things like grills, smokers, and fireworks. In spring, there is an increase of tree, grass and brush fires, or naturally occurring fires. No matter what time of year it is, if you’ve experienced fire damage, it’s a good time to call SERVPRO of South Atlanta.

Spring Fires Risks

During Spring, winds are stronger, humidity is lower and flowers are starting to bloom. Now that the sun is shining on the ground with its full strength, it will heat up the soil and dry out old grass and leaves. This makes them a much greater fire risk than in colder months because dry grass and leaves are far more combustible and can result in fast moving fire with intense heat and smoke. People also tend to get more active and explore the outdoors in the springtime, to take advantage of the warm weather by camping, cooking out, and sometimes even yard work.

Springtime is also a good time of year to perform some spring cleaning around your home or place of business. When cleaning, make sure to pay special attention to items and areas that do not receive regular cleaning or attention; such as clearing dryer vents, sweep fireplaces, deep clean stove tops and ovens. This is also an opportune time to replace smoke alarm batteries and make it easy to remember to change batteries annually. Replace any old cooking utensils that may have become fire hazards due to frequent use like singed oven mitts or appliances with frayed electrical plugs or missing grounding prongs.   

Common Springtime Outdoor Fire Risks 

• Wildfires - About a third of all reported wildland fires occur during the three month period of springtime (wildland fires encompass tree, brush, and grass fires). 

• Cookouts & Camping - With warm weather comes cookouts and camping. On average, cookouts and grills caused around 4,500 structure fires and a reported 5,700 fires outdoors (or unclassified) per year, a majority of which occur in the springtime.

• Controlled Burning -  Oftentimes landowners will conduct controlled burns to prevent massive forest fires before the summer months, when they have a tendency to be more intense and difficult to extinguish or control.

Summer Fires

In the summer, there is an increase in the numbers of fires over all. Common causes of summertime fires are again natural occurrences like lightning and man-made causes like grills, fireworks, arcing power lines, and general carelessness. Fires peak around July 4th due to trees and other foliage being ignited by fireworks and grilling festivities during annual 4th of July celebrations. 

Grilling poses some very real fire risks during the summer months. Always remember to never leave your grill unattended, not even for a short amount of time. Only grill outside and make sure to have a fire extinguisher close by. Grills should be kept a minimum of 10 feet away from any structures and foliage including your home, deck railings and trees.  Pets and children should be kept 3 feet away for safety reasons.

• If you have a gas grill, check the tank hose for leaks using a light soap and water solution.  If your hose has a leak, you will see bubbling and will need to have the grill serviced by a professional before using it again.
• For charcoal grills, using a chimney starter will allow you to safely start the charcoal using newspaper.  If you use starter fluid, always use charcoal starter fluid and never add it to an open flame.

With the increase of thunder storms in Atlanta during the summer, the risk of fires caused by lightning increases also. During a lightning storm, stay off computers and other electrical equipment.  Avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths and faucets. Also, stay away from windows, doors and concrete.

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Let SERVPRO of South Atlanta Be Your Trusted Fire Restoration Company

Our team of certified technicians are here to help you regardless of the amount of damage to your home.  We are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you get back to pre fire condition. From the beginning stages to the final construction, we want to help make it “Like it never even happened.”  Call us at (404) 505-1760 or click here to have our knowledgeable staff contact you.  

*If you enjoyed this blog check out some of our related Fire Restoration Blogs: “Different Types of Smoke and Smoke Damage”; “Most Common Causes of Fires in Atlanta”; “Smoke, Fire and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Tips”