In December 2018, a significant home fire in Tell City, Indiana took the
lives of three innocent children. Although many home fires start in the
kitchen or near electrical appliances, the Indiana Department of Homeland
Security has been
unable to identify a specific cause for this tragic incident.

How Do Most Home Fires Begin?

According to the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments
across the country respond to a residential fire every
88 seconds on average – and as many as seven people die each day because of home fires.
Although the vast majority of these fires are caused by cooking accidents
and unmonitored heating equipment, there are many other possible causes
for home fires, which can often be attributable to either a landlord or
a product manufacturer or distributor’s negligence.

Here are just a few of the most common causes for home fire fatalities:

  • Broken or absent smoke alarms
  • Failure to install working carbon monoxide detectors
  • Range and cooktop accidents
  • Faulty ovens
  • Portable space heaters
  • Creosote buildup in chimneys
  • Lack of proper escape routes
  • Failure to create a strong fire safety plan

Seeking Justice for Home Fire Victims

Whether a home fire was caused by unsafe kitchen equipment or a flawed
home alarm system, there is often some degree of negligence behind a home
fire. If you rent your home or apartment, your landlord is obligated to
keep the premises reasonably safe from fire hazards and to provide easily
accessible routes to escape. In the same vein, product manufacturers and
distributors are responsible for ensuring that certain items within a
house or apartment, like water heaters, stoves, and space heaters, do
not cause fires. Additionally, gas and electric utilities are also responsible
for making certain that their products are delivered in a safe manner.
If you or a loved one were injured in a serious home fire, our Indianapolis
legal team could help you fight back against the negligent party. Skilled
at determining the origin of such fires and collecting the right evidence,
we can build a powerful case against the party responsible and seek appropriate
recovery for your losses.

Do you have any information about a home fire that may have been caused
by negligence? Contact Wagner Reese today at (888) 204-8440 for a free
consultation.