Can a Curling Iron Start a Fire? 3 Ways to Protect against a Curling Iron Fire

10/19/2020 (Permalink)

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SERVPRO of North Fulton has mitigated house fires caused by curling irons 

In this blog post, we will be going over a curling iron's specifications and how to protect against house fires caused by curling irons. To avoid major house fires, always keep your curling iron far from any flammable materials. 

How hot do curling irons get?

A curling iron is a tool used to perfect curls or straiten hair. The temperature of your curling iron definitely matters when looking to perfect your hairdo. It is best to keep the curling iron set below 200 degrees Fahrenheit for fine or thin hair individuals. Higher temperatures can cause hair strands to burn. Individuals with thicker hair set your curling iron between 200 degrees and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Although it is not recommended to set a curling iron above 300 degrees, they can still reach high temperatures of approximately 250°C (475°F) and take about to 30 minutes to cool down. 

Do Curling Irons Cause Home Fires?

A curling iron creates heat through an electrical resistor that is positioned inside them. Like many household electrical items, curling irons have a circuit board that can cause a home electrical fire if left plugged in. 

As mentioned earlier, a curling iron can get up to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. With such high temperatures, your curling iron could burn down your home if mishandled. 

A report in 2004 and 2005 by the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC) states, "The largest number of fires involved personal grooming appliances such as hair dryers, curling irons, etc. These appliances were associated with an estimated 234,000 fires."   

For this reason, you must know how to handle your curling iron properly and the ways to protect against curling iron fire damage. 

3 Ways to Protect Against a Curling Iron Fire

1) Unplug to avoid a curling iron fire hazard

Most people use their curling iron in the bathroom. It is best to be sure that you don’t overload your bathroom outlets by plugging in too many devices into the wall. 

When done perfecting your hair, it is best to unplug it, or you could burn the bathroom countertop or start a curling iron fire. 

There are many times people forget to turn the curling iron off when done using it. When you make it a habit to unplug your curling iron after every use, you will no longer have to worry about it once you’ve left the house.

2) Resting Your Iron 

It is best to use the built-in rests that give them something to sit on while it’s heating up or cooling down to avoid a curling iron fire. The built-in rest protects countertops, and it ensures the only part of the iron that touches the counters is the cool plastic tip. 

3) Use A Hot Mat

A great accessory to avoid a curling iron fire is a silicon mat. A silicon mat is useful if you don’t have a rest attachment on your curling iron. Remember never to rest the iron on a towel or cloth material!

Conclusion

In this post, you learned that a curling iron uses electricity to curl or straighten hair and how to protect a curling iron fire. The high temperatures a curling iron may reach can cause a house fire, especially when left unattended. 

If an electrical fire does occur, SERVPRO of North Fulton is always here to help 24/7. We specialize in fire damage restoration. All of our crews have extensive fire damage restoration training from the IICRC to get your property back to preloss condition.

For more information on preventing electrical fires in your home, visit nfpa.org.