It happens all too often - a fire starts in a home, and in a very short time it is all but destroyed.  The average house fire can go from a small flame to out of control in as little as 30 seconds.  That's barely enough time for alert occupants to escape, let alone for the fire department to arrive in time.  This Old House has a pictorial progression of what happens at various stages of a house fire, as well as what you can do to safeguard your home and the life of its residents.

Almost half of all house fires arise from cooking.  Other causes include such things as smoking, electrical problems, and lightning strikes.  While you can't anticipate every eventuality, there are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of a fire destroying your home.

As a full-service home remodeling contractor, Quarve Contracting offers a variety of noncombustible building products such as fiberboard cement siding and steel roofing.  If you have questions about how they may help your home resist a fire, please let us know.