Wenatchee Home Inspections

It seems it does not happen often, or does it? Did you know that on average, U.S. fire departments responded to a home fire every 86 seconds. Less than every minute and a half someone will hear the sirens.

Home structure fires caused 78% of the civilian fire deaths and 71% of the civilian fire injuries. (Homes include one- and two-family homes, apartments, townhouses, row houses, and manufactured homes.)

Most people think it will not happen to them. Have you ever thought of having a professional home or property inspector evaluate your home, building or complex for potential safety issues that can lead to a structure fire and injury? This can be part of homeowners or landlords proactive assessment of their property.

More statistics from the National Fire Protection Agency

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Heating equipment was involved in one of every five home fire deaths. Heating equipment ranked second in reported home fires, home fire deaths (tied with cooking), and home fire injuries. Portable and fixed space heaters, including wood stoves, are involved in more fires than central heat. These fires are also more likely to result in death than central heating fires.

This category includes fixed wiring, meters, switches, receptacles, outlets, cords and plugs, and lighting equipment. Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in 9% of home fires and fire injuries and 16% of home fire deaths.

Electrical factors can play a role in any fire involving equipment powered by electricity. Electrical failures were factors in 13% of home fires.

U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 45,210 reported U.S. home

structure fires involving electrical failure or malfunction in 2010-2014. These fires resulted in

420 civilian deaths, 1,370 civilian injuries and $1.4 billion in direct property damage each year.

Some type of electrical failure or malfunction also contributed to the ignition of 16,070 non-home structure fires during this period, resulting in an estimated annual average of 12 civilian deaths, 210 civilian injuries, and $614 million in direct property damage.

I also recommend installing Photoelectric type of smoke alarms over the ionization style which happens to be the most common.



In recap, having an inspection on your home or building can be a worthwhile expenditure looking for those items and conditions that could be a safety concern.  

“Safety on, accidents gone.”

“The fire does not care what code cycle you are on”

Don Hester