A residential fire can be one of the most devastating experiences that a homeowner will ever have to go through. Not only does the family's personal property including furnishings, computers with valuable data, and let us not forget, priceless photographs go up in flames, but such a fire can have lasting financial, emotional, and psychological consequences.
What are the common causes of residential fires? According to the most recent data from the U.S. Fire Administration, the major causes of residential fires in 2011 were:
- Cooking accounted for 166,000 fires
- Heating was responsible for 43,700 fires
While cooking and heating were the two major causes of fires in residential buildings, they were followed by: electrical malfunction, other unintentional causes, intentional fires, and open flames.
Home Fire Statistics
According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), U.S. fire departments responded to approximately 366,000 residential fires annually between 2007 and 2011. Each year on average, these fires caused:
- 2,570 fatalities
- Over 13,000 injuries
- Over $7 billion in damage
Additional NFPA data from 2007-2011:
- Cooking equipment was the leading cause of residential fires.
- Smoking was the leading cause of death in home fires.
- The second leading cause of death was heating equipment.
- Three out of five fatalities occurred in homes without a smoke alarm.
The NFPA reports that 92% of fire deaths occurred as a result of residential fires; in the United States, on average of seven people die in a fire each day.
Filing a Claim After the Fire
Once the fire is out, you must file a claim right away. All homeowners are required to report the fire as soon as reasonably possible to their insurance carriers. If you want the best protection against an insurance company that drags their heels, or disputes a claim, contact a Miami insurance attorney from Mena Law Firm. Since we take cases on a contingency fee basis, you needn't worry about the costs of quality legal representation when you need it most.
If we lose, we don't get paid, and if we win – it won't be deducted from your compensation. It's that simple. Call now to find out what we can do for you!
