Harrisonburg Homeowners Can Help Prevent Seasonal Fire Damage

3/1/2025 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO® for fire damage restoration for your Harrisonburg home--from spiderweb-looking puffbacks to wildfires. "Like it never even happened."

House Fires have Different Causes Year-Round

Many house fires in Harrisonburg have preventable causes. After a house fire, many homeowners realize they could have done something to prevent the tragedy. Fire damage costs money, time, and intense inconvenience.

Different seasons of the year carry unique risks for fire damage in Harrisonburg. Winter is the most well-known season for house fires due to the typical decorations and the required heating that can cause a fire. Furnaces experience puffback when they begin to fail, and replacing the appliance with a new one is the only safe and effective response.

The other three seasons come with their share of risks and ways to reduce or prevent disasters involving fire:

• Spring
• Summer
• Fall

Spring brings new greenery around the home, which grows better when homeowners remove dead plant matter from the previous season. While people used to do this in the fall months, many leave yard 'waste' alone to let hibernating insects survive the winter. Safe burning practices can decrease the risk of a house fire while protecting your local area from wildfires.

During the summer, the risk of a fire affecting your residence changes. Electrical storms can cause a fire if lightning strikes an unprotected home. Ensuring your home's electrical system is correctly grounded can prevent lightning strikes from causing a fire. In place of this, using surge protectors can keep individual devices in your home from overheating, which can lead to the device catching fire.

Fall weather gives us both cool and warm days, causing a sudden increase in the time your furnace runs. Ensuring your ventilation system is clean, especially the chimney, eliminates creosote buildup. This substance can easily ignite and begin burning without being noticed. However, it can spread and cause severe damage to the rest of your home.

Call SERVPRO of Rockingham and Augusta Counties at (540) 433-6100 when fire damage affects your Harrisonburg residence.