Thousands of families across the Country watch their home go up in flames every year. The lucky ones only lose all of their possessions.

Thankfully, there are many ways that you can avoid electrical fires in your home, and the month of February has been named National Electrical Safety Month to create awareness of just such things. Often times, people use electricity in their homes without much thought.

We flip on the lights, turn on the dishwasher, and use the television or computer all without thinking much about the electricity that helps to power all of these things.

The fact is, your home’s electrical system is surrounding you at all times while you are inside of the house. There are wiring running in all of the walls, ceiling, and even in the floor that work to bring power to the place in your house where you need it.

Unfortunately, that means that your home is always at risk for some kind of electrical issue. With time, the electrical system in your home can break down and become corroded. Things like raccoons or mice burrowing in your attic will wreak havoc on your electrical system. And, just plain not making smart choices about using electricity in your home can lead to serious damage and fire.

Here are a couple of safety tips that you can follow to safely use electricity in your home:

• Never put more than one kitchen appliance that produces heat into an outlet at one time. For instance, do not run the coffeemaker and then make toast while they are both plugged into the same outlet. This can cause the outlet to get too hot and burn up.
• Never keep electrical appliances in your bathroom. There is a lot of water in the bathroom between running the sink and taking showers, it is too easy for an electrical appliance to get knocked into the water.
• Only use extension cords for temporary electricity. They should never be used as a permanent source of electricity in your home.

The number one cause of house fires in the US is something related to the electrical system of the home. Whether it is an appliance with faulty wiring, an extension cord that has been used as permanent wiring, or a misuse of an appliance, electrical issues will quickly lead to house fires and significant damage to your home.