CAL FIRE shares ways to prevent garage fires

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) - Every year, there are over 6,600 garage fires according to the U.S. Fire Administration. A garage fire in Desert Hot Springs left two adults and two children displaced last weekend. Captain Dominic Pulsipher with Riverside County fire sat says garage fires are among the top five calls CAL FIRE responds to.

"Usually what we see is people will plug in, it's not as much electrical vehicles, but we get the golf carts, we get the electric scooters and the e-bikes," says Pulsipher.

Overloaded outlets are a common cause of garage fires. Another common cause is washers and dryers in the gagrage.

"They're not cleaning the lint traps properly. The ducting that goes to the outside is not properly vented. So that builds up and you get static electricity along with the added heat, and it'll ignite inside and start a fire," he says.

Key takeaways:

• Be mindful of how many things you are plugging in, especially large items like refriedgerators. You don't want to overload the outlet.
• A typical fire extinguisher works well for electrical fires and fires caused by flammable liquids, make sure you know how to use an extinguisher.
• Try not to leave golf carts, e-bikes, and e-scooters unattended while charging in the garage.
• Store flammable liquids in a cabinet, specifically a flammable safety cabinet if possible.
• Do a deep clean of your garage twice a year.