Fire Safety

A fire could be the best thing to have on those cold days, or during camping trips in summer. Then there are those mishaps that could lead to catching a building on fire. Maybe someone threw an oven mitt on a hot stove top, or perhaps toasting marshmallows using the fireplace was not the best idea. Fire has been a tool since the dawn of man. With that in mind, things that shouldn’t have caught fire seem to be the first things to combust.

In the earlier days of insurance there were accidents like there are today. The difference was that back then insured buildings would have what was called a “Fire Brand”, which was a wooden or metal plaque that showed the building was insured. Another difference was in fire safety. Before there were publicly funded fire brigades, there were multiple brigades competing for business. When an insured building would catch fire, the first brigade to douse it got paid. Resulting in arguments between these fire brigades on who got to put out the fire. Sometimes the building was not insured; in which case a brigade might leave it there for the next brigade to take care of.

That was back in the early 1900’s. We have funded fire brigades, but fire related accidents still happen. In summer there can be wild fires that spread to enormous lengths. Something that California knows all too well. We, as a California insurance service, would like to remind you of the simple truth that fire-related accidents happen. Maybe now is the time to get some homeowners insurance or small business insurance. Contact us at Sweeney & Sweeney Insurance Services to find the perfect insurance for your house or business.