Marked Increase in House Fires Throughout South Florida

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on April 2, 2020

Firefighters throughout Southern Florida are reporting an increase in the number of calls they receive relating to house fires. While the precise reasons behind this rise is impossible to confirm, it is highly probable that the numbers reflect the dramatic rise in the number of people who are at home throughout the day due to coronavirus.

According to reports issued in the middle of March from the South Florida American Red Cross during a stretch of 12 days, they were asked to aid 133 individuals who had been involved in 33 separate fires. These numbers do not reflect the normal state of things, and, again, the belief is that this steep rise comes as more and more people spend longer and longer periods of time in their homes without going anywhere.

The fires experienced throughout Southern Florida have broken out in mobile homes as well as more traditional residences. They have hit Palm Beach, St. Lucie, and Monroe. In fact, out of all 13 counties comprising South Florida, nine of them reported at least one house fire during the above-mentioned 12-day period.

Firefighters in the affected regions are now attempting to raise the awareness of individuals around certain appliances and other items that could possibly lead to a house fire. Keeping people informed is always one of the best ways to prevent disaster, and if more people spend more time thinking about how candles, electric heaters, and stovetops can rapidly change their quality of life, then the greater chance that home-fires will be prevented.

Already a devastating possibility, house fires are increasingly dangerous in this time of global emergency. The spreadability of the coronavirus means that people displaced from their homes for any reason are far more likely to be exposed than those who are able to remain within their homes. People displaced by fires are also more likely to find themselves living in close proximity to more individuals, whether it be in shelters, hotels, or the homes of family and friends. The greater the concentration of people in any one location, the greater the chance for COVID-19 to spread through a large group of people.

Sources:

• More houses are catching fire as people stay home because of coronavirus

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.