When protecting your house from a fire, it’s not unusual to neglect your attic—but an estimated 1,000 residential attic fires occur each year.
Even though these fires start in a confined space, they can quickly spread to other areas of the house. Fortunately, these six best practices will make it easy to fireproof your attic and safeguard your entire home.
Schedule an Electrical Inspection
One major cause of attic fires is faulty electrical wiring. Many electrical fires start in the attic, where moisture, dust, or other environmental factors can short-circuit exposed wires. Even a tiny electrical spark is sufficient to ignite a flame—and soon, the whole attic could become an inferno.
To prevent this, schedule a thorough electrical system inspection every 3–5 years. An electrician will evaluate your home’s wires, outlets, and fixtures, including those in the attic. You can then replace faulty cables, reducing the overall fire risk.
Improve the Attic Ventilation
Optimal air ventilation in your attic will lead to several benefits. Attic vents and fans help direct heat, smoke, and vapours out of your home.
Proper ventilation clears the air quality, making it easier to see, breathe, and escape in the event of a fire. Unobstructed ventilation will also help first responders quickly locate the fire’s source and combat it effectively.
Routinely Clean All Attic Spaces
The most common attic fire risks are cardboard boxes and other flammable storage containers. Remove these items from your attic to reduce the amount of fuel to spark a blaze.
Opt for sealable plastic crates as a safer alternative to cardboard boxes. While plastic crates can melt in extreme heat, they won’t attract a fire or cause it to spread. These crates will also protect any flammable items or materials inside them from coming into contact with the flames.
Enlist Help with Post-Fire Restoration
After the initial shock and ensuring safety during a house fire, recovering from the aftermath can be labour-intensive.
As a result, you will need a remediation service that knows how to handle a comprehensive attic fire clean-up—from soot and smoke residue to water damage from the fire extinguishers.
A professional team will restore the attic to its pre-fire condition while helping you take future preventive measures, such as installing fire-resistant insulation.
Create an Accessible Emergency Exit
Even if you don’t renovate the attic for extra living space, someone could be in the attic during a fire. Install a fire safety ladder outside your home to keep all your loved ones safe.
Ensure the ladder reaches an attic window to create an accessible escape route. The safest location for a fire escape ladder is near a window opposite the attic’s normal exit—this will offer two unobstructed points of egress from the confined attic space.
Install the Right Fire Safety Equipment
An attic fire can also ignite when no one is home. Installing smoke detectors in the attic and throughout your home can alert you to a fire when it sparks. Many smart smoke detectors will even connect to a mobile device so you can monitor the situation in real time.
You should also install a fire extinguisher in the attic and have it inspected once a year to ensure optimal working order. If a small fire starts in the attic, a fire extinguisher will help contain the flames before they spread.
Fireproof Your Attic to Protect the Rest of Your Home
“House fires can start unexpectedly, but these actions to fireproof your attic will minimize the risk and help contain a potential blaze before it spreads. Not only will this protect your home and loved ones, but it will also enhance your peace of mind.”
