There are approximately 350,000 house fires in the US per year. All of them are unfortunate and many are preventable. With this in mind, the following guide looks at the most likely places for a blaze to break out so you can perform the proper maintenance. Then, if all else fails, have a fire alarm system and fire extinguishers in place so that it causes the least amount of damage possible.

Major Fire Threats in a Home

1. Kitchen

The kitchen is the source of half of all house fires. As such, never leave something on the stove unattended, clean up any oil spills immediately, especially if they are near a heat source, and keep a fire extinguisher within easy reach. Remember, if a grease fire does break out, water will not douse it and can actually make the flames bigger.

2. Bedroom

Your bedroom contains many flammable fabrics—from the carpet to the sheets. If you have a mattress from before 2007, upgrade it to be sure it is compliant with the Federal Mattress Flammability Standard. Avoid having open flames—such as candles—in the bedroom.

3. Laundry Room

The U.S. Fire Administration reports that 2,900 home fires per year are caused by dryers. One-third of these were due to failure to clean out the lint trap. Empty yours before every load. Keep one of your fire extinguishers in the laundry room as well, and close the door between the laundry room and the main house when the machine is in use. This can slow down the spread if a fire does occur.

While no one wants to deal with a fire, you can save lives—and your home—if you put in some prevention measures. GMW Fire Protection specializes in residential and commercial fire protection in Anchorage, AK. They will come up with a custom plan for your needs. For example, if you do a lot of cooking, ask them about their kitchen fire suppression systems. Learn more about their services on their website. Then call (907) 336-5000 to get started.