How many times have we all heard someone say “it was an accident waiting to happen?”  Earlier this month, tragedy struck a northwest Las Vegas neighborhood where two elderly people, several cats and one dog were found dead after a fire started in the back bedroom of their single family residence. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, however fire officials on the scene said it appeared accidental.  Investigators found several electric extension cords in the bedroom where the fire started and there were no smoke alarms found in the house.

As a Las Vegas home inspector, it truly saddens me to read of tragedies such as this one; more-so because it was obviously preventable. A sad reminder of just how dangerous our homes can become when a few simple safety precautions are ignored.

Electricity is such a vital and essential part of our everyday living, but under the wrong circumstances it can be deadly. According to the US Fire Administration, during a typical year, home electrical problems account for 67,800 fires, 485 deaths, and $868 million in property losses. Many avoidable electrical fires can be traced to misuse of electric cords, such as overloading circuits, poor maintenance and running the cords under rugs or in high traffic areas.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that about 3,300 residential fires originate in extension cords each year, killing 50 people and injuring about 270 others. The most frequent causes of such fires are short circuits, overloading, damage, and/or misuse of extension cords.

Home electrical safety tips;

• Use surge protectors, if possible, instead of extension cords.  Surge protectors have additional built-in over current protection.
• The National Electrical Code says that many cord-connected appliances should be equipped with polarized grounding type plugs. Polarized plugs have one blade slightly wider than the other and can only be inserted one way into the outlet. Polarization and grounding ensure that certain parts of appliances that could have a higher risk of electric shock when they become live are instead connected to the neutral, or grounded, side of the circuit. Such electrical products should only be used with polarized or grounding type extension cords. For additional safety tips and information on using extension cords, please visit the CPCS website at the following link; 
o http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/16.html
• If your home is more than 20 years old, consider upgrading all kitchen and bathroom countertop outlets with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) outlets.
• Check your smoke alarms routinely.  If your smoke detectors or more than 10 years old you may need to replace them. If you purchase a resale property that’s more than 5 years old, why not just replace all the smoke detectors when you move in? 
• Consider installing a carbon monoxide detector. Homes that have gas appliances, water heater and furnace are most at risk for CO poisoning. Homes with conventional wood burning fireplaces or woodstoves are at very high risk for CO poisoning.
• Keep a fire extinguisher that is easily accessible in your kitchen. 
• Have your home inspected every few years for safety.  My company will provide a safety inspection for a very small fee – free for seniors (over 65) and veterans.

Making your home safe and secure is easy, inexpensive and could save your life!