Despite the huge cost of fire claims and the measures we have in place to prevent them, during the lockdown, Crawfords reported a whopping 40% increase on fires.
So what’s changed?
Greater risk of causing a fire yourself in the home – Some individuals choose to spend time extra time at home in the kitchen, having a bbq or even making use of a fire pit. All involve an aspect of fire danger and the utmost care should be taken when doing so to avoid adding to the increase in fires.
Greater risk of a fire happening in a vacant commercial premises – As more individuals are staying home, to stay safe, many commercial properties are left empty. This can run the risk of electrical equipment becoming faulty and catching fire or unfortunately, a risk for arson. It’s a good idea to ensure that vacant properties are checked regularly and have fire prevention systems in place.
Dryer, warmer weather – Good weather and bored children being off from school can mean that there is a greater chance of outdoor fires happening. Educating children around the dangers of fires is the best method to keep them safe from fire danger.
Increased electrical appliance usage – A huge increase of electrical appliance usage at home due to staying home, to stay safe, means that more people are using electrical appliances more often such as TV’s, PC’s and other electrical items. Over usage can mean overheating, which can result in fires. It’s important to turn electrical appliances off when not in use and if you notice them becoming warm, to stop using them, disconnect them from the mains and leave them to cool down.
Fraudulent activity due to financial strain – Unfortunately an increase in fire claims could be because of fraudulent activity to ease financial strain from an insurance pay out. The 2008 recession was a previous example of this where the ABI reported fraudulent claims up to a value of £703m. It’s important not to engage in fraudulent activity as the repercussions are massive.