Found out 70% of house fires from electrical issues start in the bedroom

I was reading through some NFPA stats last night while waiting on a service call and saw that 70% of residential electrical fires actually start in the bedroom, not the kitchen or garage like I always assumed. That shook me because most people I know have extension cords and power strips all over their bedrooms for phone chargers and lamps. How do you handle bedroom circuits on new builds or remodels, do you run dedicated 20 amp lines or stick with standard 15 amp?

2 comments

2 Comments

drew_thomas95d ago

That stat about 70% of fires starting in the bedroom really got me thinking because I always assumed it was the kitchen or the garage too honestly. I used to think the biggest danger was leaving a space heater on or candles near curtains, but now I realize how much of a fire hazard all those little devices plugged in around the bed really are. I mean think about it, we pile extension cords and power strips behind nightstands for phone chargers, lamps, maybe a fan or a CPAP machine, and they just sit there getting hot and covered in dust. For new builds I think running dedicated 20 amp circuits to bedrooms is a no brainer now, it gives you that extra safety margin and prevents overloading when someone has a desk setup and a bunch of gadgets. Standard 15 amp just feels too risky when you consider how many things people actually plug in overnight while they're asleep and can't catch it early.

mia4421d ago

Admit I've got a pile of cords behind my nightstand that looks like a rat king. Phone charger, lamp, e-reader, and a fan that runs all summer. Never really thought about it until my wife pointed out the dust bunnies back there could probably catch fire from just looking at them wrong. I switched to one of those surge protectors with a built-in breaker and try to vacuum behind the furniture every few months now. Still feels like playing with fire though. Literally.