Nancy Harvey Steorts, an associate broker at Long & Foster Real Estate, is former chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and author of “Your Home Safe Home.”
Just imagine: A candle tips over in your home, drips on the wood table and catches the linens on fire. It spreads to the upholstered sofa and rugs. The blaze quickly spreads to the next room, and within minutes your entire home is engulfed. In two to three minutes, your home can be a total loss.