You might think you’ll never experience a house fire, but the United States sees fire departments responding to almost 350,000 house fires each year. A house fire can lead to significant monetary, psychological and physical damage. Stay safe by following these basic fire safety tips.
1. Use Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms can catch fires before they start. You should install as well as maintain these alarms on every level your home has.
The 1970s saw smoke alarms become widely available, and serious injuries and deaths from fires have fallen dramatically since then. You have 55 percent less risk of dying in a fire in your home if you have a working smoke detector.
Unfortunately, not everybody keeps and maintains smoke alarms. Around 60 percent of deadly house fires happen in homes without working smoke alarms.
2. Have a Fire Escape Plan
Everyone should practice and plan home fire escapes. You never know when it could be you that gets victimized by a wildfire like the Eaton Fire or Hurst fire. It’s crucial to have an escape plan particularly if you’re in a location with a dry environment with more fire risk.
You should ideally create numerous escape plans which can help you escape from home fires or even wildfires that set your home on fire. These plans should include multiple exits from each room, including windows and doors. Escape plans should let everyone evacuate in under two minutes. Ensure needed tools like ladders are easily accessible. This will be vital for window escapes from elevated floors.
Designate a meeting place a safe distance from your home.
Make diagrams of escape routes that everyone can understand easily.
Make sure all regular household members practice escape plans. Escape plans will only be effective if everyone knows them without needing to refer to diagrams.
3. Cook Carefully
Cooking is one of the top three causes of home fires. When you cook, keep in mind the following safety tips:
- Make sure the stove and burners are turned off after cooking
- Be extremely careful when you cook or fry with grease and oil
- Ensure all combustible materials like clothing stay a significant distance from open flames
4. Keep Fire Extinguishers
Kitchens are the most likely places in homes for fires to start. This is usually from flammable items touching burners or from grease fires.
The kitchen is the best place to keep a fire extinguisher. It should be easily accessible from the area in front of your stove. Make sure everyone knows where it is and how to use it:
- Pull its pin
- Aim at the fire’s base
- Squeeze its handle
- Sweep back and forth from side to side to put the fire out
Most fire extinguishers only work for around 10 years, so replace it when it’s time to. Don’t dilly-dally on replacing them. After all, you might need them if a fire starts.
Never throw water on grease fires. Use an extinguisher instead, douse the fire using baking soda or smother the fire to cut off its oxygen.
5. Don’t Leave Burning Candles Unattended
Every year sees candles cause 15,600 home fires, 1,270 injuries, $539 million in property damage and 150 deaths per year. A lot of the time, the candles are being used as light sources due to the power being down. Have batteries and a flashlight available for emergencies so you don’t need to use candles.
When burning candles:
- Utilize sturdy holders
- Keep them away from pets and children
- Extinguish them before you go to bed
- Burn them on even surfaces
- Make sure they’re kept away from window coverings or upholstery
Conclusion
It’s crucial to take care of the safety of your home. The last thing you want is for an extreme fire like the Palisades fire to start and burn your home down, potentially injuring you or members of your family.
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