We Buy Fire Damaged Houses in Chicago’s southside neighborhoods. Here are the 10 Most Common Causes of House Fires in Chicago.

Have you lost your southside Chicago home to a fire? Many Chicago home owners with distressed houses for sale don’t know what to do with their decaying property. A distressed home in Chicago may be old and outdated. A south side Chicago distressed home may be gutted. Or a southside distressed property in Chicago may have fire damage.

House fires continue to be a leading cause of death and property loss in Cook County, Illinois. In fact, Chicago has one of the highest residential structure fire casualty rates in the United States. Residential structure fires in Chicago result in 8.1 death per 1,000 fires and 34.8 injuries per 1,000 fires. The national average is 6.2 deaths and 25.6 injuries.

In addition to death and injury, Chicago fire damaged homes result in hundreds of millions of dollars in property loss. And the emotional toll is incalculable.

We buy fire damaged houses in South Side Chicago. Here are the 10 most common causes of house fires in Chicago.

We Buy Fire Damaged Houses caused by:

Appliances and Equipment Fires in South Side Chicago

Appliances and equipment fires in South Side Chicago. Appliances and devices that generate heat such as stoves, clothes dryers, and space heaters pose a fire risk. Additionally, any device that heats up such as a computer or fan can cause a fire hazard. Also look to your kitchen for devices such as a Crock Pot, microwave oven, and toaster. Cooking vessels that are left unattended are a frequent cause of avoidable fires.

Candle Fire Properties in South Side Chicago

Candle Fire Properties in South Side Chicago. Every candle comes with a warning: “a burning candle should never be left unattended.” Yet, many candles are often forgotten and can burn out of control. Candle fires are most likely to occur on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Christmas Eve.

Holiday Decorations Cause Fire Damage in Chicago

Holiday decorations cause fire damage in Chicago. Candles aren’t alone in causing tragic fires during the winter holiday season. Christmas tree lights and other lit decorations are obvious culprits. Live trees that are not watered properly and left to dry out are an easy target for incineration by hot lights.

We Buy House with Electrical System and Device Fire Damage

We Buy House with Electrical System and Device Fire Damage. Any device that uses electrical power has the potential to start a fire, and overheated lighting equipment comes in at the top of the list. Shoddy electrical work within a home — poorly connected circuits, loose wires, improper grounding — is also a danger often unknown to homeowners.

Smoking Damage House Fires in Chicago

Smoking damage house fires in Chicago. Among the most common causes of house fires is the consequence of negligent smoking habits. People sometimes fall asleep while smoking. In doing so, they can set their bed, chair, or couch on fire, which can easily result in a fatality. Another avoidable hazard is discarding still-hot ashes into a trash can where they can ignite.

Chemicals and Gasses Cause Residential Fires in Chicago’s Southside

Chemicals and Gasses Cause Residential Fires in Chicago’s Southside. Home fires can easily be caused by sources of natural gas or propane gas. An errant spark combined with a small leak can create a combustible situation. Improperly mixed household chemicals can also trigger combustion, which is why it’s important to conduct such activity outside the home setting.

Lightning Damages Houses in Chicago’s Southside

Lightning damages houses in Chicago’s Southside. Lightning fires most commonly occur during the summer months when afternoon and early evening storms are at their peak. Homes in heavily wooded areas are extra vulnerable to lightning strikes that can set the surrounding landscape on fire.

Children Cause Housefires in Chicago

Children cause housefires in Chicago. Small children unknowingly playing with fire or matches inside the home are one of the leading causes of house fires. Older kids who know what fire can do — and just want to see what happens — are equally dangerous. Though there may be no way to curb their curiosity entirely, it’s possible to mitigate potential disaster by talking to children about how destructive careless behavior around fire may be.

Southside Chicago BBQ Grill House Fires

Southside Chicago BBQ grill house fires. This is a larger issue in the summer than at any other time. A barbecue grill can lead to uncontrolled flames in a few different ways, such as proximity to combustibles like dry grass, or because of a gas leak. Decrease the likelihood of these accidents by checking for gas leaks prior to firing up the grill, or by cooking atop stone or some other flame-immune material — and always keep a watchful eye on an operating grill.

Normal House Fires That Go Awry

Normal house fires that go awry. Sometimes it can’t be helped. We do everything correctly, follow all the rules and wisdom, and fire still can be notoriously hard to control. One of the most common causes of house fires are, of course, that we allow fires in our homes at all. If managed responsibly, this usually isn’t an issue, but a single stray ember from an active flame can catch a carpet aflame, for example.

Be mindful around an indoor fireplace, and never leave it unattended. This time could be the time when a log breaks in such a way that sends embers flying.

Remember that distressed and abandoned homes in Chicago are more prone to fire damage due to damaged and outdated electrical and fire systems.

Do you have a house in Chicago’s Southside or Westside neighborhoods with fire damage?

URB Chicago pays cash for properties in any condition, and we can provide a fair market cash offer in as fast as 24 hours. That means, you could have cash in hand for your distressed Chicago home in as fast as 7 business days.