Thus individuals’ omissions either willfully or accidentally in their actions have contributed to devastating occurrences. Common place accidents such as leaving an iron box on, a dropped cigarette or an electric heater left too close to flammable material have been reported to be major cause of fire fatalities in private residences (Grosse and Malvern, 2004). Consequently, most cigarettes’ related fires begin as a result of the smoker’s carelessness.
Similarly, electricity is another commonly reported cause of fire in residential places due to human errors. This has been explained by (Grosse and Malvern, 2004) as emanating from either blown fuses or over warming of hot plugs and sockets. Faulty electrical wiring with exposed naked wires in the wall due to poor workmanship has also been reported to result in short circuiting, consequently starting a fire. Moreover, numerous reports have variously faulted the habit of leaving appliances like lamps, ovens and even baby monitors unplugged for over 24 hours a day. Grosse and Malvern (2004) explain that these implements have occasionally shorted out starting a fire. In the same vein, leaving fireplaces and heating devices such as pots, burners, stoves and lighted candles unattended in rooms have frequently resulted in devastating consequences according to the views of Duncan (2005).
Research findings have associated majority of these causes to particular rooms in private residences. Duncan (2005), Elaine (2000) and Grosse and Malvern (2004) have variously demonstrated that the kitchen is the number one cause of domestic fires since it contains numerous hazardous items like the frying pans that can cause fire easily. Furthermore, majority of the mentioned risky items are probably stored in the kitchen. Overloading extension cords in the bedroom with electrical devices such as electric blankets or warmers and heaters with no lab-approval have significantly increased fire risks in the bedroom