Common Sources of Commercial Fires

12/27/2021 (Permalink)

The best way to combat a commercial fire is to know what to do and when to do it, along with who should do what. At SERVPRO, we can help you navigate this task and avoid chaos, should you encounter a fire on your commercial property. Our fire restoration services are second-to-none; however, we prefer you avoid a fire on site in the first place. 

The best course of action is to know how to respond ahead of time and then practice, practice, practice your plan of action.

Common Commercial Fires

Make sure you understand where your fires could be coming from on your commercial property. This is often fairly easy to determine based on the kinds of businesses your commercial property hosts. Consider restaurants. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that 61% of restaurant fires were attributed to cooking equipment. Knowing this gives restaurant owners a better idea of how to stay ahead of the flames by placing a safety emphasis on proper maintenance and repair of all commercial restaurant equipment. 

Other Common Culprits of Commercial Fires

In addition to restaurant equipment, Unifour Fire & Safety reports other common culprits to be aware of in your commercial building: 

• Electrical & Lighting Equipment are responsible for 12% of office fires and 10% of store properties. 
• Heating Equipment: common in large offices and warehouses, they have a hand in heating up more than just the office space; 11% of office fires result from heating equipment.
• Arson. Fires set intentionally are certainly hard, if not impossible to prepare for. While they have been attributed to 10% of fires resulting in office properties, they are far more common in educational buildings at approximately 36%! 

Plan like a Professional

Make sure that your employees know where to go in case of a fire. Also, have regular fire and safety checks to monitor the condition of heating, electrical, and kitchen equipment.  Practice your fire exit route and encourage your employees to take these drills as seriously as if they were dealing with a real fire. 

Pro-tip: Share some of the stats above with your staff to show them that while a fire might be unlikely, it is certainly not impossible! 

For this reason keep SERVPRO Haverhill / Newburyport in mind for any possible fire restoration  services, following a commercial fire. Contact us today!