1 in 4 Americans Don’t Have a Fire Extinguisher

Twenty-eight percent of Americans have experienced an electrical fire. Of that group, 1 in 5 say the fire occurred in their home. Another 9% say the fire broke out in a neighbor's home with whom they share the building. While fires have affected the homes of millions of Americans, data shows that the habits and risky behavior of some homeowners aren't lowering their risk of experiencing future fires.

A significant percentage of Americans could be increasing their risk of experiencing an electrical fire by overlooking potential hazards. For example, 57% of consumers leave heat-producing appliances plugged in or turned on when they're not in use, and 56% have accidentally done so without realizing it.

An overloaded electrical system can spark electrical fires. Still, after being asked how often electricians inspect their breaker boxes, 40% of residents of homes older than 20 years say they have never had their box checked by a professional. This is especially concerning given how often some are overloading their homes' power sockets. Eleven percent say their fuses blow or their breakers trip at least once per month, while another 10% say this happens every few months.

Americans are also failing to monitor their smoke detectors and dryer filters. Two-thirds of people didn't check their smoke detectors in the past month to ensure the alarms are working. Of that group, 28% haven't checked their detectors in more than three months. Similarly, 42% of Americans with dryers haven't cleaned the lint from their filters in the past week, despite the fire risk that this poses.

Another way significant numbers of people are underprepared to experience an electrical fire is the lack of understanding many expressed regarding their home or renters insurance protection. Half of Americans either are unsure they have enough coverage to protect their assets from a fire or know they're unprotected.

One-quarter of people assume they have enough home insurance to cover fire damage. Sixteen percent of people report not knowing whether their insurance coverage is sufficient — with a portion of these people claiming that their property's home insurance coverage is someone else's job in the household. Just 7% declared they know they don’t have enough insurance to recover from a fire.

Fortunately for most people, a standard home or renters insurance policy covers fire damage. In fact, insurance policies extend their protection to trees and shrubbery on a property if they're affected by a fire. Insurers even cover fire damage caused by a hazard that's not covered itself, such as an earthquake. In this scenario, the insurer would cover the damage that the fire caused. However, there are a few elements that could complicate a policyholder's coverage.

Insurers don't cover losses that result from mechanical breakdown. Relatedly, electrical fires that are caused by faulty repair or poor maintenance won't be covered under most policies. A policyholder's coverage may also be complicated if the property owner has a high-risk home in a fire-prone location where insurers have limited their liabilities due to recurring losses. Policyholders should contact their insurance company to be clear on their level of protection before a fire breaks out — especially if policyholders are among the 18% who don't know what their home insurance covers.