When you're a homeowner, it's important that you never engage in any risky behavior that could lead to the risk of a fire. While your home insurance provider will take care of you, going through the claim process even in the event of a minor fire and having to pay a deductible is something that you'd rather avoid. If you're an automotive buff, you might frequently find yourself working on your car at home — possibly without thinking about the potential fire risks your work could lead to. Here are some important tips to follow to lessen the risk of causing a fire and having to make an insurance claim and pay your deductible.

Work In The Driveway, Not In The Garage

While it may be tempting to get shelter from the elements by working on your car in the garage, doing so carries a risk of a fire. There are a number of different ways that this work could start a fire. For example, you could spill some oil or gasoline on the floor of the garage and, later on, drop a tool that causes a spark when it hits the hard floor — and the spark could quickly ignite the spill from earlier. If you're outside, the issue is pretty minor, but if you're in your garage, the small blaze could quickly spread, causing a fire and requiring you to make a claim and pay your deductible.

Burn Any Used Rags

Many automotive products are highly combustible, which means that you don't want to leave them in the garbage can in your garage. A rag soaked in oil or gas or one of many other types of automotive products has the potential to catch fire, even hours after you've put it there. When you have soiled rags, it's important to dispose of them correctly. Burn them in your fireplace indoors or place them in an outdoor fire pit and set fire to them — making sure to stay next to the pit until the blaze is fully extinguished, of course.

Be Smart With Your Battery

One of the easiest times for sparks to occur is when you're changing, installing, or working on your car's battery. If you have a wrench attached to a terminal that you're tightening or loosening, sparks can jump off the wrench if you bump the wrench on another metal element under the hood — and these sparks could potentially cause a fire. If there's a metal element near the battery that you're in danger of hitting, simply cover it with a work rag. If the wrench makes contact, there won't be any sparks — and thus no fire risk.

For more information on ways to reduce your risk of fire, contact an insurance company like Central Florida Insurance Agency of Town 'N' Country.