8 Sneaky Culprits of Home Fires in Singapore and How to Snuff Them Out

You don’t want your dream home to go up in flames!

Your home is supposed to be your safe haven…or is it? If you’re not careful, your gorgeous home that you’ve spent time, effort, and money renovating can quite literally burn down in a matter of minutes whether it’s your fault or not.

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure – and in this case, taking steps to prevent a fire from breaking out can go a long way. Keep reading to see a list of potential fire hazards in a home – some of which we guarantee you haven’t thought of before.

1. Personal mobility devices (PMDs)

We’ve seen the news enough to know that PMDs are one of the biggest causes of a fire in Singapore. And indeed, the statistics reflect this as well, with the number of fires involving mobility devices increasing by 31% in 2023.

Often, this is because of overcharging. Most PMDs use lithium-ion batteries – which, when overcharged, will lead to overheating and, in severe cases, combustion (boom).

How to prevent a fire: Charge your PMDs in a cool place away from direct sunlight, and don’t charge them overnight.

2. Cooking

It probably goes without saying that the kitchen is the most common place a fire occurs. This can happen in a myriad of ways – like leaving your cooking unattended or turning up the heat too high. And just because you’re using an induction stove doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods, because they can still short circuit and start burning.

Aside from that, did you know that a dirty kitchen can also increase the risk of a fire? That spatter of oil and grease that you forgot to wipe? Can be ignited with high heat or a stray spark. Food remnants in your oven or microwave? They can burn up, too.

Also, a not-so-fun fact: your kitchen staples like flour, sugar, and garlic are also fire hazards in the kitchen. Their flammable nature means that they can also catch on fire, especially if they’re near an open flame!

How to prevent a fire: The easiest way is to regularly clean your kitchen to ensure it remains in tip-top condition. Additionally, never leave your cooking unattended and refrain from turning up the heat too high, even if you feel like you’re running out of time.

Before cooking, it helps to set aside the amount of ingredients you need and keep them far away from your stove. This minimises the risk of spillage and the amount of loose powder floating in the air.

Explore: No Time to Clean? 8 Design Ingredients for a Low Maintenance Kitchen

3. Overloaded power sockets

In today’s digital age, we can never have enough plugs for our various appliances and devices. In fact, things like extension cords and 3-way adaptors are commonly used to give us extra plugs.

But the last thing you want is to overload your power sockets. If there are too many devices and/or appliances plugged into a single socket, it’ll risk overheating and, of course, a fire. They’re like us, in a way – put too many things on our plate, and we risk a burnout.

Signs your power sockets are overloaded include:

• Wall sockets are warm to the touch
• Discoloured wall plates
• Crackling or buzzing sounds
• Strong burning odours

How to prevent a fire: Major appliances – like your TV, fridge, washers, and dryers – should each be plugged directly into a wall socket. They should not share the same adaptor as the voltage will be too high when operated at the same time.

Also, you may be tempted to plug in another extension cord or 3-way adaptor into your existing power strip, but do refrain from doing so, as this will increase the risk of overheating.

4. Faulty wiring

While electrical rewiring may be a pricey renovation task, it’s better to be safe than sorry – especially if you’re living in an old resale flat.

The dangers of outdated wiring isn’t just limited to its inability to handle modern-day electrical demands – over time, there’s also a risk of wires getting exposed or getting loose, which can short circuit and lead to an electrical fire.

How to prevent a fire: If you haven’t renovated your home yet, it pays to get an experienced electrician to a) check your wires, and b) replace old or damaged ones.

If you’ve already moved in and are concerned about the state of your wires, you can still get an electrician to conduct checks every few years or so to ensure that everything is up to code.

5. Faulty appliances

Unfortunately, your trusty appliances can also be a fire hazard. This can happen through faulty wiring or broken/outdated parts. To give you an idea how this can happen, here’s a list of common appliances as well as how they can cause a fire:

• Refrigerators: Overheated compressors or short circuits
• Dishwashers: Water leaking onto internal wires due to broken components
• Dryers: Clogged up lint tray
• Air-conditioners: Splicing, which happens when the masking tape holding a broken wire together melts and catches fire.
• Laptops: Overheated batteries due to overcharging or blocked air vents

How to prevent a fire: Look out for wear and tear in your appliances. If you suspect that one of your appliances is broken, you should immediately get a qualified handyman to fix them. Alternatively, you can also replace it with a brand new unit.

6. Messy and/or dusty spaces

Got a cluttered home? You may want to think about tidying it up. Not only will they block your way and impede your escape, but certain items like paper and boxes can, over time, become tinder that starts a fire.

If you’re living in a HDB flat, this extends to your exterior area as well. Things like clothing racks, shoes, bicycles… and of course, saunas, should be kept within the home.

Apart from clearing up messes, you should also aim to keep your home as dust-free as possible. Those pesky dust bunnies lurking in obscure corners aren’t just a source of sneezing and allergic reactions – they’re also highly flammable. A single spark from an electrical outlet or someone smoking nearby can set it on fire!

How to prevent a fire: Even without the dangers of fire hazards, you should strive to regularly clean your home and remove messes.

And yes, we totally get it – homes in Singapore tend to be on the smaller side, so sometimes, you may be forced to leave your things outside your home. If that’s the case, here are a few storage-related resources you may find useful:

• Bicycle storage at home
• Built-in shoe cabinet ideas
• Overlooked storage tips

7. Glassware

Remember those science experiments from primary school where we’d try to set a leaf on fire using a magnifying glass? Well, bad news – it can happen with your own glassware at home, too.

When placed in direct sunlight, glassware – like clear cups, fish bowls, and ornaments – can cause a magnifying effect. And when that magnified sun ray is reflected onto your carpet or curtains? Yes, you guessed it – it’ll burn.

How to prevent a fire: Keep your glassware safely stowed away in cabinets and/or away from direct sunlight. Keep your blinds/curtains closed, especially on particularly sunny days.

8. Loose batteries

Do you keep your batteries in a drawer or tool box? If so, you may want to rethink that, because when they’re loose, there’s a likelihood that they’ll roll around – and if it comes in contact with something made out of metal (e.g. a screw or key), they can blow up!

This applies to old batteries too, by the way. Even if they can’t provide sufficient juice for our devices, there’s still a little electrical charge left – so if you’re tossing them into the trash willy-nilly, there’s a chance that they could ignite.

How to prevent a fire: Keep all loose batteries in a thick bag or plastic container, and avoid putting anything else inside. Alternatively, you could also purchase some electrical tape and put some over the batteries’ connectors when not in use.

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