The average household needs a lot of electricity to power up. One little spark in the wrong direction could spell disaster. Each year, electrical fires cause nearly 500 deaths, nearly 1,400 injuries, and $1.3 billion in home damage, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International.
Constant dimming or flickering lights, unusual sizzling or buzzing sounds, or repeatedly tripping circuit breakers are telltale signs of an electrical problem. But some electrical problems are less evident.
“Many of the causes of electrical fires occur behind walls, due to damaged wiring and most often don’t present any visual warning signs,” says Ashely Bryant Kees, a senior product manager at Siemens and part of a task force with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Several sources can cause electrical wiring fires of malfunction. They range from overgrown landscapes and pests to deterioration in an aging home.
9 Risks of Electrical Fires
Electrical fires are a serious hazard, with key risks including:
Fire Risk 1: Faulty Light Fixtures
“Some of the more common causes of electrical fires are light fixtures,” says Tim Jankowski, president of Aladdin’s Cleaning & Restoration, a Michigan-based fire damage restoration company. Even using a light bulb with wattage that’s too high for the fixture could increase your risk. Beware: Home fires involving lighting equipment usually originate in a bedroom, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Fire Prevention Tips:
- Always use the recommended wattage for light bulbs (indicated on the lamp or fixture).
- Keep flammable items away from lamps, light fixtures, and light bulbs.
Fire Risk 2: Aging Electrical Systems and Appliances
Older homes with outdated wiring may not be able to handle the electrical loads needed to power up modern appliances. That’s true even for everyday items like microwaves, hair dryers, or electric heaters, according to Home Alliance. Old electrical components can be at risk for overheating and sparking, and old appliances can cause electrical fires, Jankowski adds. He suggests upgrades of appliances that are more than 10 years old.
Fire Prevention Tips:
- Contact an electrician if your home experiences frequent blown fuses, tripping of circuit breakers, flickering or dimming lights, or an outlet that makes crackling, sizzling, or buzzing noises.
- Consider replacing your home’s circuit breakers with arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs), which can break a circuit automatically if they detect dangerous conditions.
- Replace appliances that have cracked, damaged, or loose cords.
Fire Risk 3: Heat Sources
Thirty percent of electrical fires in homes occur from December through February, according to the NFPA. The cause is the increased use of space heaters and blankets, and flammable objects being left against electrical baseboard heating units, the association says. In 2022, fire officials in Bronx, N.Y., linked a deadly fire in a high-rise apartment building to a portable electric heater used in one apartment. The U.S. Fire Administration has flagged common dangers, like a heat source being too close to combustibles.
Prevention Tips:
- Plug only one heat-producing appliance (like a coffee maker, space heater, or microwave) directly into a wall outlet at a time.
- Never use an extension cord to power up a heat-producing appliance.
- Unplug small appliances when not in use.
- Monitor a space heater when it’s on. Keep it on a flat, fire-safe surface and away from flammable materials.
Fire Risk 4: Overloaded Outlets
“If you see you have an outlet with more plugs coming out of it than necessary or are plugging surge protectors into your surge protectors, you might want to reconsider your cord usage,” Jankowski says. Hire an electrician to install more outlets around the house. Warning signs of overloaded outlets include persistent light flickering, a burning smell, or discolored outlets.
Fire Prevention Tips:
- Always plug major appliances (for example, refrigerators and stoves) directly into a wall outlet. Look for signs of wear on outlets, including soot around sockets or switches.
- Avoid using cords where they could be damaged or pinched, like under a carpet or rug.
- Use power strips that have internal overload protection.
- Replace wall outlets if plugs don’t fit snugly.
Fire Risk 5: Pest Damage Inside Your Home
Pests outside may look for refuge inside and can cause an electrical fire. Squirrels may enter your home in pursuit of food, says Meg Pearson, a training manager at Critter Control, a nationwide, humane wildlife removal company. “Once inside, they often nest and reside in the attic. The real danger arises when a squirrel chews the insulation on electrical wiring, creating the potential for a dangerous and costly house fire.”
Fire Prevention Tips:
- Check attics for nests and droppings. Listen for scurrying noises or chewing sounds that may indicate a pest inside your home.
- Inspect your home for small openings to the attic or crawl space.
- Call pest control immediately if you suspect any pests inside.
Fire Risk 6: Aluminum Wiring
Another potential risk is the installation of old-style aluminum wiring in about 2 million homes from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, according to the Copper Development Association. Home builders often used aluminum wiring because it was more affordable than copper wiring. However, it became less popular because it tended to overheat when the electrical load was high, creating risk for an electrical fire, according to Angi. Take extra precautions if you have or suspect you have this type of wiring.
Fire Prevention Tips:
- Contact an electrician to check for aluminum wiring and verify that connections are properly made.
- Watch for red flags if your house has aluminum wiring: warm light switches, flickering lights, circuits that don’t work, or a burning plastic smell at outlets or switches.
- Consider a replacement or repair. To completely rewire your house can cost $2 to $4 per square foot, according to Angi. A more affordable option is to hire an electrician to replace all aluminum wiring connection points with copper pigtails, a short section of copper wire at the end of each aluminum wire.
Fire Risk 7: Arc Faults
Arc faults ignite more than 30,000 home fires annually, making them a leading cause of electrical fires, according to the ESFI. Damaged, overheated, or stressed electrical wiring or devices cause these dangerous electrical problems, the ESFI says. They occur when older wires fray or crack, a nail or screw damages a wire behind a wall, or outlets or circuits are overburdened. An arc fault circuit interrupter senses abnormalities and automatically shuts off the electrical power before it overheats. The ESFI estimates that AFCIs could prevent 50% of fires caused by arc faults. The devices are required in newly built homes.
Fire Prevention Tip:
- Install AFCI breakers if your home doesn’t have them (most likely in homes built before 2002). It costs an average of $30 to $100 to replace an individual arc fault breaker, according to Angi.
Fire Risk 8: Counterfeit Electrical Products
Beware of the danger of purchasing counterfeit circuit breakers, power strips, extension cords, batteries, and even holiday lights. These counterfeit electrical products can endanger your home and family because they aren’t tested for compliance with safety standards. Watch for less expensive products that try to copy a brand product or that don’t include independent certified marking. The EFSI recommends ways to avoid buying counterfeit products.
Fire Prevention Tips:
- Only purchase from trusted sources.
- Check electrical manufacturers’ websites to find authorized retailers and distributors.
- Only purchase items that have been tested and marked.
- Only use licensed, insured, and bonded contractors who will stand behind their work.
- Look for products and packaging with typos and misspellings; they are highly likely to be counterfeit.
Fire Risk 9: Overcrowded Landscaping
“You’d be surprised by how often landscaping factors can contribute to electrical issues and even home fires,” says Bryan Clayton, CEO of GreenPal, a nationwide landscaping resource. Bushes, trees, and plant life growing too close to your outdoor electrical boxes or meters can obscure and potentially damage electrical equipment, he adds. Also, large tree limbs hanging over power lines pose a significant risk to nearby homes.
Fire Prevention Tips:
- Regularly trim bushes and trees, especially those near electrical equipment or overhead lines.
- When planning landscaping, avoid placing large plants and trees near electrical lines.
Additional Electrical Fire Safety Tips
Never attempt DIY electrical work. “Electrical work can be dangerous and cause severe injury or death if done wrong,” warns Joel Worthington, president of Mr. Electric, a nationwide electrical service and repair company.
Even after taking extra precautions, check smoke detectors regularly and, in homes with young children, consider installing tamper-resistant receptacles to prevent electrical shocks and burns, advises the ESFI.
Also, have fire extinguishers on hand that can put out an electrical fire. Make sure they have a class C or A-B-C rating, which indicates they’re effective against fires involving ordinary combustible materials, flammable liquids, and electrical equipment, Worthington says. Remember, if you try to douse an electrical fire with water — and not a chemical fire suppressant — you risk electrocution.
Education and prevention are critical to keeping your household safe from electrical fires.