In urban areas, however, portable heaters are the primary cause of home electrical fires. Electric stoves are involved in 25 percent of home appliance-related fires. However, these fires are mostly the result of careless cooking rather than the stove's malfunction. In urban areas, faulty wiring accounts for 40 percent of residential electrical fires. Twenty percent of home electrical wiring fires can be traced to the misuse of electric cords, such as overloading circuits, poor maintenance and running the cords under rugs or in high traffic areas.
Frayed wires can cause fires.
Replace all worn, old, or damaged appliance cords immediately. Use electrical extension cords wisely and don't overload them. When buying electrical appliances look for products which meet the UL standard for safety. Don't allow children to play with or around electrical appliances like space heaters, irons and hair dryers. Keep clothes, curtains and other potentially combustible items at least three feet from all heaters.