For all the challenges linked to pandemic-era lockdowns, recent research from The Hartford indicates that when people spend more time at home, they take more care to avoid house fires. During December 2022, the insurer asked around 15,000 adults about fire safety and prevention behaviors. The survey found that in the wake of COVID-19 lockdown:
  • There was a 45% decrease in people overloading electrical sockets;
  • There was a 64% decrease in people falling asleep with a fire burning in the fireplace; and
  • There was a 75% decrease in people leaving a lit candle near drapes and other flammable household items.
This research and other facts related to home fire risk were recently compiled by The Hartford for its Junior Fire Marshal® Program. As part of the project, the carrier also pulled data from its Home Fire Index indicating which cities in the U.S. have the highest home fire risk. The top cities in the country on that list are illustrated in the slideshow above. Participants in the Junior Fire Marshal® Program also learn the top causes of house fires. They include:
  • Electrical problems;
  • Kitchen/cooking fires; and
  • Heating sources such as space heaters.
The Hartford also teaches young fire prevention enthusiasts that holidays are among the most common days of the year for house fires to occur. As part of the Junior Fire Marshal® Program, more than 112 million kids have learned about fire prevention since the program's inception in 1947, according to The Hartford, and the carrier has donated more than $1.5 million to local fire departments for prevention programs. See also:

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Elana Ashanti Jefferson

Elana Ashanti Jefferson serves as ALM's PropertyCasualty360 Group Chief Editor. She is a veteran journalist and communications professional. Reach her by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

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