Lightning and Risk of Fire to Your Home

6/30/2022 (Permalink)

Lightning and Risk of Fire to Your Home

Lightning is one of the most dangerous natural forces in the world, and this phenomenon has the ability to cause significant damage to the homes that it strikes. One of the major hazards that it poses is the threat of lighting fire to your residence. If you are a homeowner in the Upper Cumberland read on for more information about electrical storms and the potential risks to your property.

How Does It Enter Your Home?

A bolt of lightning will always find the quickest path to enter the ground, and unfortunately, homes can sometimes be part of that path. Your home can be entered a number of ways.

• Direct strikes
• Power, cable or phone lines
• Electrical gates or doors
• Metal pipes
  
  

How Do Fires Start?

Once a strike occurs, the risk of a house fire is considerable. A bolt is a current of electricity that can reach temperatures comparable with the surface of the sun. The intense heat is enough to ignite a flame, especially in highly flammable parts of the home, such as the attic or within the walls where insulation is present. Electrical charges can also create dangerous sparks responsible for lighting fire to homes and buildings.

Stay Safe During Storms

Remember, you are within striking distance if you can hear thunder. During storms, stay inside, away from doors and windows, and avoid using items that place you in contact with plumbing or electricity. If your home suffers a strike, contact the fire department to check over your property. If you detect smoke, call 911 and evacuate everyone from the premises immediately.

Electrical storms and strikes can form quickly and wreak havoc in your life by lighting fire to your home. If your dwelling is a victim of this type of blaze, don’t hesitate to reach out to an emergency restoration service to assist you.