Rice on the Side

Home fires are often preventable and taking steps to avoid fires (such as installing smoke alarms) at your home could help keep your Washington State insurance rates low. A leading cause of residential fires is often said to be cooking. Do you often use grease when preparing meals? Make sure you always follow these five safety tips.

•    You should always heat oil slowly. Increasing the temperature of grease too quickly could cause it to ignite.

•    Be careful to never leave a pan or fryer of grease unattended.

•    Pan handles should always be turned in toward the wall to help prevent children from pulling on them or people bumping into them when passing through the kitchen. You should also keep fryers away from the edge of counters.

•    When adding food to a pan or fryer of hot grease, add it slowly to prevent splashing.

Sometimes a fire is easily defeated by a homeowner and sometimes the flames leave nothing but ashes behind. By keeping in mind the above suggestions, you may be able to reduce your chances of experiencing a house fire, but you can never eliminate it. With Washington State insurance, you may be able to ensure you have the funds to start from scratch should you lose your home to a fire.