In 2011 there were 95,500 apartment fires in America. Most of these types of fires lead to many burn injuries and even deaths due to the negligence of someone else. To help protect your family, watch out for these three common causes of apartment fires:
- Smoking: Many fires that lead to serious burn injuries and deaths start when a smoker falls asleep with a lit cigarette or when cigarettes are left smoldering in a full ashtray. It’s important to never smoke indoors or lying down, and to ensure that a cigarette is fully extinguished when you are done with it.
- Cooking and Kitchen Equipment: According to the National Fire Protection Association, the majority of domestic fires start in the kitchen. Most of these fires begin when you are distracted when cooking and forget there is something on the stove top. Also towels and oven mitts left too close to a cooking source, grease splatters from frying and pots boiling over can start a fire that leads to burn injuries or even death.
- Electrical Appliances: Common causes of apartment fires are electrical appliances like heaters, dryers and more. Heaters might spark a fire through mechanical problems or overheating. Dryers might start a fire through mechanical failure or if you forget to empty the lint filter regularly. Make sure your heater is kept at least 3 feet away from other objects and, since apartments usually have only one exit, ensure the heater is not blocking it.
If you or a loved one were the victim of burn injuries or death because of a fire, usually it was due to the negligence of someone else. You deserve justice and compensation for your pain. Contact the Dallas burn injury attorneys at Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP today, and set-up your free, no-obligation consultation.
