We all think we know the most common causes of fire in the home:
- Unattended candles
- Chip pans
- Fire places with no covers on them
- Overstacked electrical sockets/ wound up extension leads
- Ovens/Grills/cooker rings left on – with tea towels on them (or is that just my house)
The list goes on but one of the unseen causes of house fires is your pet. Yes that’s right man’s best friends, especially the felines, seem to be rather adept at it according to this news report i read yesterday (http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121021/GJLIFESTYLES/121019207/-1/SANNEWS) Animals — including wild ones or pests like rats or insects — are capable of starting a fire any time, but the majority involve a heat source, like a stove, light fixture, candle, embers, or a space heater, Hall said. And over colder holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, there’s often more activity around those sources than usual.
On Feb. 4, a Vancouver, Wash. a family left a new puppy home alone for the first time — and also food on the stove. The dog turned on the igniter trying to get to it, said fire department Capt. David James. The dog died, and the family’s rental house was destroyed. “It was insured and can be rebuilt, but people and pets can’t be replaced,” James said. And it isnt just them igniting their fur on a stray candle or toppling over the Christmas tree as they try to reach the treats on it that cause fires. One cat got a real shock when it caused a fire when it urinated while perched on a window ledge in a home. The urine ran down the wall into an electrical outlet which then blew and scorched the cat and the house.
So be alert when it comes to leaving your pets alone at home – are they safe from causing a fire? One way you can make the home safer for your furry friends is to switch to Scentsy Flameless Candles and wax warmers. There is no flame to cause a fur fire, the wax is food grade and safe if your pet is nosey and licks it and the warmers can be replaced if knocked over at lot easier than a burnt out house.
