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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Adding to Insult to Injury: When Fire Follows a Hurricane

9/8/2021 (Permalink)

Illustration of lit candles catching and lighting the curtains above on fire. Candles are a great source of light when the power goes out, just be sure to watch them while they're burning!

As if the damage resulting from the high winds and rain of a hurricane wasn’t devastating enough, there’s also good reason to be concerned about fire while sheltering in place. Right now, more than one million people are still without power in Louisiana, following Hurricane Ida. Many of them are likely turning to flashlights and candles while they wait for the power to come back on. 

And this is where the threat of fire comes in… 

The National Association of State Fire Marshals advises that “As Hurricane Activity Increases, So Does the Importance of Fire Safety,” citing an approximate 26% of fires attributed to candle use result from loss of electrical power during or following severe weather activity. 

That’s why the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urges people to observe these key candle safety rules:

  1. Do not leave a burning candle unattended.
  2. Keep lit candles away from anything that could catch fire.
  3. Make sure pets and children cannot reach candles.

Taking these suggestions seriously could help you avoid becoming one of the estimated 8,200 residential fires resulting from candles each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association

Of course, house fires can also be caused by factors completely out of your control and especially during severe weather events. In fact, according to NOLA.com, “The National Weather Service reports that lightning starts about 4,400 house fires each year, causing around $283 million in damages.” 


Following a fire at your residential or commercial property, contact your SERVPRO Wakefield team for professional fire restoration services.

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