Shock as Firefighter’s Wife Reveals Which Item Burns Houses ‘to the Ground’

A firefighter’s wife has made a public service announcement on TikTok to raise awareness of a household fire hazard that very few people are aware of.

In footage dated October 22, Jess (@unhingedreviewswjess) points to the ceiling in her bathroom and pulls on a string to turn on the extractor fan. In the caption, she states it isn’t the “most common, but is the most dangerousfire.”

She then explains why her husband—who has 17 years’ experience—refers to it as a “house burner.” So far, the video has attracted 2.1 million views.

The purpose of a bathroom fan is to help remove moisture from the air when showering to prevent mold growth. However, Jess notes that “nobody ever thinks to clean” the inside of it, which leads to years of dust and dirt accumulation, potentially causing serious consequences.

In the caption, she states: “Even if you are home, [the fire] can go undetected for too long, and it can get out of hand quickly.”

However, health and safety expert Dale Allen told Newsweek: “When extractor fans meet your country’s approved standards and are properly installed and wired, they are generally safe for continuous use in normal households without posing a fire hazard.”

“These fans have been reliably keeping our homes fresh and dust-free for years. It’s important to avoid creating unnecessary fear around appliances that, under normal conditions, improve our lives.”

Allen advises cleaning the fan once a month, and Jess recommends using it for no more than 15 minutes at a time.

In the caption, Jess also states: “When the fire department arrives, they will most likely ‘drop the ceiling’ to put the fire out. It’s too dangerous to put a body in the crawl space.”

It seems the video struck a chord with lots of people, as over 4,000 users have commented—many of them to thank Jess.

“I think you saved my life. i keep those things on 24/7 for the white noise and IMMEDIATELY ran to turn it off. thank you!” said one woman, and Jess said: “The cleaner they are the safer they are but absolutely only use them when needed.”

“OK WAIT. My husband always freaks if I leave the bathroom fan on………I owe him an apology,” said one user and another wrote: “As a firefighters kid I’m afraid of bathroom fans and dryers.”

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, about 10,000 residential building attic fires were reported each year between 2006 and 2008, resulting in an estimated 30 deaths, 125 injuries and $477 million in property damage. Although attic fires are part of the broader residential fire issue, they account for only about 2 percent of all residential building fires. More recent data, from 2017 to 2019, shows that U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 368,500 residential building fires annually.

Allen, the founder of the Safety-Verse, an initiative that aims to make information and resources on safety more accessible, told Newsweek: “Many times, our habits lead to hazards in the home. For example, coming home after a night out, deciding to cook, and then leaving it unattended is a major cause of house fires. Being mindful helps protect ourselves, children, and the elderly.”

Newsweek contacted @unhingedreviewswjess for comment on this story.

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