What are the most common reasons for building fires?

What are the most common reasons for building fires? Structure fires, which happen in both commercial and residential settings, can lead to severe injuries and death, even when those inside have proper warnings from their fire alarms and other such systems. Fires move far more quickly than many people realize. In the span of just a few minutes, the fire can spread from the source to all parts of the building.  Understanding more about how building fires start can help you both avoid them and prepare for the worst.

What is the source of most structure fires?

To determine how to prevent these structure fires, one first has to consider why they happen. Here are a few common reasons: 

• Cooking
• Smoking
• Electrical issues
• Lighting equipment
• Heating equipment

The final category is intentional fires. In some cases, these are cases of arson. In others, they may be attempted insurance fraud. While intentional fires don’t happen nearly as often as accidental ones, it’s still important to keep in mind the possibilities. Exactly how the accidental fires happen can differ from case to case. Those in shared housing -- like apartment buildings -- face significant risks. After all, you can stay safe and alert and still get caught up in a fire that started in another unit, where someone was being careless while cooking dinner or forgetful about their lit candles. You could also get injured at work due to a fire started by other workers or because of negligent safety measures. 

Do you need compensation for your injuries after a fire?

Burn injuries can be very severe, leading to excessive pain and suffering, disabilities, disfigurement and more. You could be facing high medical bills and many changes to your future. You may have a right to compensation for these losses. Working with an experienced advocate can help you assert your rights.