1 in 4 Americans Say They Don’t Have a Fire Extinguisher at Home

According to a new LowCostInsurance survey of more than 1,200 respondents, despite the fact that 28 percent of Americans have experienced an electrical fire, the majority are not taking basic precautions that would reduce their risk of another fire. Twenty-nine percent of people do not have a fire extinguisher in their home or are unsure if they do. Similarly, 28 percent of people haven't checked to see if their smoke detectors are working in the last three months.

Furthermore, a sizable number of people may be unintentionally increasing their risk of experiencing a fire. Fifty-seven percent of people admit to leaving heat-producing appliances plugged in when they are not in use, and 56 percent have left these appliances plugged in or on by accident.

While most homeowners and renters insurance policies cover the damage that a fire could cause, one-quarter of people do not have adequate coverage to protect against fire damage, or are unsure if they do. Another 10% of Americans do not have homeowners or renters insurance.

Consumers' behavior isn't reducing further risk, despite a history of experiencing fires

An electrical fire has been experienced by 28% of Americans. One in every five of those surveyed say the fire started in their home. Another 9% say the fire started in a neighbor's house, with whom they share the building. While fires have destroyed the homes of millions of Americans.

By ignoring potential hazards, a sizable proportion of Americans may be increasing their chances of experiencing an electrical fire. For example, 57 percent of consumers leave heat-producing appliances plugged in or turned on when not in use, and 56 percent have done so unknowingly.

An overloaded electrical system can cause a fire. Nonetheless, when asked how frequently electricians inspect their breaker boxes, 40% of homeowners over the age of 20 say they have never had their box checked by a professional. This is especially concerning given how frequently some people overload the power sockets in their homes. Eleven percent of people say their fuses blow or their breakers trip at least once a month, and another ten percent say it happens every few months.

Americans also fail to maintain smoke detectors and dryer filters. Two-thirds of people have not checked their smoke detectors in the last month to ensure they are working properly. 28 percent of those polled haven't checked their detectors in more than three months. Similarly, despite the fire risk, 42 percent of Americans with dryers haven't cleaned the lint from their filters in the last week.

Americans aren't prepared to protect themselves from a fire if one is to break out

Extinguishers, a vital tool for fire safety, are priceless in an emergency. However, 25% of Americans report that they do not have one in their homes. Another one in ten people say they have a fire extinguisher but don't know where it is. Renters are less likely than homeowners to know where their fire extinguisher is, if they have one. Half of American renters don't know where their extinguisher is or don't have one, compared to 32% of homeowners.

One of the ways that Americans are unprepared to protect themselves from a fire is by not having fire extinguishers — or being unsure where they have them. In fact, only 39% of people are very confident in their ability to protect themselves and their homes during a fire. One out of every ten people lacks confidence.

Women (13%) are more than twice as likely as men (6%) to be unsure about their ability to protect themselves in the event of a fire.

People may be unconfident as a result of a lack of preparation. For example, 60% of people have never conducted a home fire drill. In addition, only one in every five people has conducted a fire drill in their home in the last year. Furthermore, more than one-third of people do not have a fire-safe box for important documents, and another 7% are unsure whether they have one.

Millions of Americans may not have enough insurance coverage to recover after a fire

Another way that a large number of people are unprepared for an electrical fire is a lack of understanding about their home or renters insurance protection. Half of all Americans are either unsure if they have enough coverage to protect their assets in the event of a fire or are aware that they are unprotected.

One-quarter of people believe their home insurance covers fire damage. Sixteen percent of people are unsure whether their insurance coverage is adequate, with a portion of these people claiming that their home insurance coverage is someone else's responsibility in the household. Only 7% stated that they are aware that they do not have enough insurance to recover from a fire.

18% of people are unsure whether their home insurance policy provides adequate fire protection.

Fortunately, most homeowners or renters insurance policies cover fire damage. In fact, insurance policies cover trees and shrubbery on a property if they are damaged by a fire. Insurers will even pay for fire damage caused by a hazard that isn't covered, such as an earthquake. In this case, the insurer would pay for the damage caused by the fire. However, there are a few factors that could make a policyholder's coverage more complicated.

Mechanical breakdown losses are not covered by insurers. Similarly, most policies will not cover electrical fires caused by faulty repair or poor maintenance. The coverage of a policyholder may also be complicated if the property owner owns a high-risk home in a fire-prone area where insurers have limited their liabilities due to recurring losses. Before a fire breaks out, policyholders should contact their insurance company to clarify their level of protection — especially if they are among the 18 percent who don't know what their home insurance covers.