There are many fire hazards in his house. How to limit the risk of a fire starting and properly insure your home against fire?
A dilapidated electrical system, a fryer that catches fire, the garden that kisses during a barbecue… There are many fire risks inside your house and in your garden. How to properly insure your home against fire? How to limit the risk of a fire starting? Follow our tips for insuring your home against fire.
Knowing the risks of fire is a first step to limiting them, dealing with them and also to knowingly choose your home insurance against the risk of fire.
What are the main household fire risks?
While the Sapeurs-Pompiers de France recall that a domestic fire breaks out every two minutes in France, the French are poorly informed about the risks of fire in the house and how to prevent them. However, of the 300,000 annual fires declared, the majority affect a dwelling. Everyone is concerned !
Good to know : the risk of being the victim of a fire is 76% higher in an apartment than in a house because the probability of fire spreading from one dwelling to another or from one floor to another is high. Depending on the room in your house or apartment, the risks are also different. Thus, the kitchen covers nearly 72% of fire outbreaks while the bathroom accounts for only 3% (SARETEC Stats Figures, 2019).
First cause of fire at home: electrical installations
Two-thirds of fire interventions are caused by a faulty electrical source, including:
● 61% are directly due to electrical equipment (household appliances, power strip, etc.).
● 36% to household electrical installations.
● 3% to installations in common areas or energy distribution.
Second cause of domestic fire: uncontrolled heat sources
It can be a hob left on, a halogen lamp too close to a curtain, a toaster that catches fire, etc.
Third cause: clumsiness
A badly extinguished cigarette butt in a garbage can, a poorly maintained boiler, a cloth placed over a lamp to dim the atmosphere are all sources of fire starting indoors.
To remember : 5% of home fires are related to fireplaces and stoves.
How to protect yourself and prevent the risk of fire in your home?
Electrical malfunctions generate many outbreaks of fire. Since 1991, electrical systems have followed more stringent and protective standards than before: grounding is mandatory and the circuit breaker must be equipped with a circuit breaker. Hire an electrician to bring your electricity up to standard.
Best protect your house or apartment with four simple actions:
● Install stand-alone smoke detectors and alarms (DAAF) in living rooms, passageways and in bedrooms.
● The presence of a fire extinguisher is welcome but for its use to be effective, you must have read its instructions beforehand and know in which cases to use it.
● Comply with regulations and standards for any electrical modifications to your home or for the installation of a wood stove or insert. Annual maintenance by a trusted professional is a guarantee of a compliant installation without major risk.
● Assess the value of your movable property (furniture, household appliances, jewellery, valuables, clothing, etc.) at best when you take out your multi-risk home insurance. The amount of your compensation will depend on it! Over the years, you can change this value with your insurer to cover your home as accurately as possible. Discuss covered movable property and warranty exclusions with your insurer. And be aware that to compensate you, the insurance takes into account the obsolescence of the goods and therefore does not reimburse the price of a new object.
These actions can limit the risk of fire on a daily basis:
● Unplug chargers and electrical devices when not in use.
● Never leave cooking food unattended.
● Avoid overloading electrical outlets or extension cords.
● Be careful not to leave the fireplace or wood-burning stove on high when you go to bed or when you leave your home.
● Unplug the iron or your space heater as soon as you leave the room, even if it is only for a few minutes.
● Never leave burning candles in a room unattended.
● Clean the filters of your kitchen hood, your clothes dryer and your VMC.
● Keep lighters, candles and matches out of the reach of children.
● Read the instruction manuals of your devices and use them correctly.
Forest fire and home insurance
In summer, forest fires unfortunately make the headlines with houses sometimes devastated by the flames. Brush clearing is mandatory once a year for a house located in a wooded area. It is up to the owner to ensure the proper maintenance of the vegetation on his land. Without this, your home comprehensive may not cover the damage.
Note: a forest fire is very rarely considered a “natural disaster”. It is therefore your home insurance that will cover this risk. Bet on the “garden” guarantee to be covered as well as possible by a forest fire for your goods located outside.
What insurance to cover the risks of fire?
Discover what fire insurance covers whether you are a tenant or an owner.
You are a tenant ?
When you signed your lease, you had to provide a certificate of home insurance which is compulsory for any long-term rental of accommodation. Your insurance contract includes cover against the risk of fire and explosion. Note that if you only take the rental risk guarantee option, only your property and that of your landlord are covered in the event of a fire claim. In other words: if the fire spreads to your neighbours, you will have to pay for the damage to neighboring property with your own money.
Do you own the accommodation you live in?
You are not required to take out home insurance although it is strongly recommended. With a multi-risk home insurance contract, you will be covered against the risks of fire and explosion according to the level of guarantee chosen. Without any risk coverage by insurance, you will have to take care of the refurbishment of your home, the purchase of furniture to be replaced, etc., on your own.
What does multi-risk home insurance cover in the event of a fire?
Civil liability guarantee a multi-risk home insurance covers the damage you cause to third parties when a fire breaks out in your home, which spreads to other homes, buildings, outdoor spaces and which can cause casualties.
Fire or explosion warranty will compensate you and other victims in the event of a fire in your home. Thus, the insurance will compensate for the replacement of property destroyed by fire, explosion, implosion, lightning and damage caused by the intervention services. The Fire guarantee also applies to any undeliberate act such as an unsupervised barbecue or an electrical failure.
Good to know: insurance cannot refuse to compensate you or decide to reduce your compensation because of the absence of a fire detector in your home.
When choosing your home insurance, take into account the assistance and assistance services of the contract. It can make the difference!
Damage following a fire: the steps to be compensated
Declare the disaster (online, by telephone, in a branch) to your insurer within 5 working days (or within 5 days after the discovery of the claim, if you were on vacation, for example).
Gather the documents necessary for the assessment of the claim (photos, damaged or burned objects, invoices, proof of warranty, quotes from professionals for the repair of your home, etc.). This evidence may be supplemented by the passage of a expert mandated by your insurance. His expertise should make it possible to find the cause of the fire and list all the damage caused.
You will then be compensated according to the expert report:
● Did the fire start at your home? It is your insurer who will compensate you and the other dwellings concerned (in a building, for example) under the Fire guarantee of your multi-risk home insurance.
● Did the fire occur in another dwelling, or in the common areas of your building? It is the insurer of the accommodation concerned or the insurance of the co-ownership concerned which must compensate you.
Good to know: in the event of disagreement on the responsibility for the claim, it is the IRSI Convention, “Compensation and recourse for building claims” which applies. This is an agreement signed by the insurers determining the rules of compensation.
If you believe that the insurance expert has underestimated the amount of damage, you can ask him for a second opinion or contact the insurance mediator.