Before

After

Fire in West Chicago City

Every 20 seconds in the United States, a fire department is responding to a fire somewhere. While your home is where you should always feel safe, it can also be a dangerous place if a fire occurs. In fact, four out of five fire-related fatalities occur in the home. However, if you are aware what causes a potential fire that could lead to severe fire damage in your home, you may be able to prevent the fire from occurring in the first place.

One of the major causes of fire-related deaths is smoking materials such as cigarettes and other tobacco products. About 800 people die annually in the U.S. because of careless handling of cigarettes in the home. Typically, smoking material that is forgotten or carelessly discarded ignites trash, furniture or bedding. Most of the deadly smoking-related fires occur in a family room or living room, not the bedroom because bed upholstery and mattresses are manufactured with excellent fire-resistant qualities