Firefighter's wife issues warning about 'dangerous' part of house

The most dangerous and fire-prone part of your house isn't the oven, space heater, or a burning candle - but something inside the bathroom.

A firefighter's wife revealed the exhaust fan in the bathroom can cause the most dangerous and fast-spreading house fires - and few people suspect it.

Jess, who posts under the username @unhingedreviewswjess, explained her husband - who has been a firefighter for 17 years - calls this type of fire a 'house burner'.

'In his opinion, it's the most dangerous fire to get started in a house,' she shared. 'And the reason why is because no one ever thinks to clean [the bathroom fans].' 

Jess explained to properly clean an exhaust fan, it requires taking the fan out of the ceiling and cleaning the inside of the fan to remove the potential years of dust and dirt that accumulate in the fans.

'When the fan shorts out it gets hot enough to start a fire,' she explained. 'The fire actually goes up into the attic space, the crawlspace, of the home, and the fire is allowed to develop over the ceiling and over the fire detectors.'

'And by the time anyone realizes there’s a fire, it’s usually too late,' she added.

Jess pointed out the attic is usually full of 'dry flammable materials' - which would mean the space is set ablaze immediately. 

'Only use these fans when needed,' she advised. 'Don't use them more than 15 minutes at a time, turn them off before you leave the house and turn them off before you go to bed.'

In the caption, Jess clarified it's not the most common fire, but is one of the most dangerous.

'Why? Because even if you are home, it can go undetected for too long, and it can get out of hand quickly,' she explained.

Most users didn't know this, taking to the comments to thank Jess for her advice. 

'I highly recommend installing a bathroom fan timer switches for this exact reason! It allows you to select 10, 20, 30, and 60 minutes and then shuts off,' one shared. 

'OK WAIT. My husband always freaks if I leave the bathroom fan on………I owe him an apology,' admitted another one. 

According to American Family Insurance, exhaust fans are just like any other electrical appliance and can pose a fire risk.

They suggest conducting regular fan checks, and to look out for warning signs of a malfunctioning exhaust fan.

They suggest listening out for scraping sounds or smells of smoke when the fan is on, and to consider replacing the fan if it's too old.