During the five-year period from 2013 to 2017, US fire departments responded to an estimated 354,400 home fires each year, on average. These fires caused an annual average of 2,620 civilian deaths, 11,220 injuries, and $6.9 billion in direct property damage. 

House fires are nothing short of devastating. Whether it’s contained to the kitchen or it causes widespread destruction, the emotional costs of a fire in your home are only outweighed by the financial costs. 

There are ways that you can prevent fires in your home as well as stop the spread and minimize the damage if a fire starts. And if you do have a fire in your Mississippi home, it’s important to know the role that your Mississippi homeowners insurance plays in your recovery. 

What to Do Now to Prevent House Fires in Mississippi

The good news is that home fires are preventable in many cases. There are many steps that you can take to try to prevent a fire in your Mississippi home. 

Kitchen Safety

• Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking, and if you leave, turn off the stove or any other cooking appliances. 
• Keep your stove and oven clean. 
• Don’t wear loose-fitting clothing or long sleeves while cooking. 
• Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a "kid-free zone" of three feet around the stove.
• Place outdoor grills at least ten feet away from siding and deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.

Smoking Safety

• Always smoke outside. Completely distinguish cigarette butts in an ashtray or sand-filled can and leave them outside.  
• Never smoke in a home where oxygen is used, even if it is turned off. 
• Never smoke in bed. Put your cigarette out immediately if you are drowsy.

Electrical and Appliance Safety

• Replace all worn, old, or damaged appliance cords immediately and do not run cords under rugs or furniture.
• If an appliance has a three-pronged plug, use it only in a three-slot outlet. Never force it to fit into a two-slot outlet or extension cord.
• Immediately shut off light switches that are hot to the touch and lights that flicker. Have them replaced by a professional electrician.
• Inspect your dryer regularly. Clean out your lint trap every time you put in a new load of laundry, and check behind and under the machine to make sure lint and clothing items are not stuck.

Heating Safety

• Inspect all of your heating sources. Make sure that air filters are clean and replaced regularly. 
• Avoid using portable space heaters. If you must use one, be sure to keep flammable or combustible items or materials at least three feet away from them.
• Buy only heaters evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

Fireplace and Woodstove Safety

• Inspect and clean woodstove pipes and chimneys annually. Check them regularly for damage or obstructions.  
• Use a fireplace screen heavy enough to stop rolling logs and big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch flying sparks.
• Make sure that any fire in a fireplace or woodstove is completely out before leaving your house or going to bed

General Fire Safety Tips

• Teach children about the dangers of fire. Store matches and lighters out of their reach, or even in a locked cabinet. 
• Never leave children unattended near stoves or burning candles, even for a short time.
• Never use a stovetop or oven to heat your home.
• Keep all combustible and flammable liquids away from heat sources.
• Never use a portable generator indoors. 
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, especially inside bedrooms and around areas where you sleep. Test them once a month, and if needed, replace batteries. 
• Keep at least one fire extinguisher in your home, especially in or near the kitchen.
• Be careful with candles. Always extinguish them before you leave a room, before you leave the house, and before you go to bed. Keep them far away from flammable materials like curtains, furniture, clothing, and so on. Keep them out of reach of children and pets. 

Having working smoke detectors is one of the most important things you can do to protect your family when a house fire starts. An estimated 95% of households have smoke alarms, but many do not work because the batteries are dead or the actual alarms are not functioning properly. 

The National Fire Protection Association provides the following smoke alarm safety tips:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• Test the alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
• Smoke rises. For this reason install alarms following the manufacturer’s instructions high on the wall or ceiling. Save the manufacturer’s instructions for testing and maintenance.
• Replace batteries in smoke alarms at least once per year. If an alarm chirps, it is a warning that the battery is low. Replace it right away.
• Replace all smoke alarms — including alarms that use a ten-year battery and hard-wired alarms — when they are ten years old, or sooner if they don not respond properly.
• A qualified electrician must install hardwired alarms. 
• Smoke alarms are available for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. These alarms use a strobe light to alert people when smoke is detected.

Can You Prevent a House Fire from Spreading?

When a fire breaks out in your Mississippi home, even if it’s a small fire, the flames can quickly engulf the entire home, damaging your home and all of your belongings. There are a few things you can do to prevent a fire from spreading once it starts. 

• The sooner you respond to the fire, the greater chance you have for limiting its spread. 
• Consider installing fire doors in your home. They can slow the spread of a fire for a limited period of time. 
• Use fire-resistant construction materials such as wood, steel, and concrete to safeguard your property as much as possible. 
• Consider buying textiles and furnishing that have been treated with a fire retardant. You can also treat them yourself.
• It’s more difficult for fire to spread if your home is compartmentalized. Closing doors will block the fire’s access and limit the speed of spread. 

It’s most important to keep fire extinguishers handy in all levels of your home. At the very least, keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and other high-risk areas like the fireplace or near the dryer. 

Remember to keep your fire extinguishers away from the potential sources of fire so you can access them safely when you need them. And it’s important that all members of your household know how to properly use a fire extinguisher. Be sure to read the instructions well before it’s time to use it.

How an Agent Can Help Me Protect My Mississippi Home from House Fires

Fortunately, fire is typically one of the “covered perils” included in most standard Mississippi home insurance policies. If you have a fire in your Mississippi home, you can expect your homeowners policy to offer the following types of coverage to help you repair and replace you damaged property:

• Dwelling coverage
• Personal property coverage
• Other structures coverage
• Temporary living expenses coverage

It’s important to review your Mississippi insurance policy every year to make sure you have all the coverage you need. If you’re shopping for homeowners insurance in Mississippi, working with a Mississippi independent insurance agent is your best bet. Independent agents aren’t tied down to one insurance company. They can help you shop around for the best coverage at a price that fits your budget.