|
A house fire is one of the most dangerous things that can happen in your home. Fire has the potential to destroy everything in its path without mercy. The best way to avoid the peril a fire can cause is to prevent it in the first place, and have a plan of action set up just in case a fire does get started. Being prepared in advance can save lives.
One of the best preventative measures you can take is to have all the electrical wiring in your home inspected. Faulty wiring is one of the most common causes of home fires. Make sure all your wiring is up to code. If you see exposed wires around your home, have the wiring replaced. You may need to crawl into your attic , or where ever your wiring is run, to periodically check the condition of the wires. The plastic conduit used to insulate and protect wiring can degrade and erode over time leaving bare wires exposed. Those bare wires can get very hot when an electric current is running through them, heating up any material they may be touching and possibly starting a fire. The bare wires can also cause shorts and sparks when they touch each other, or other conductive material in the area, causing fires to ignite. In addition to inspecting electrical wires, you should also make sure your fuse box is properly wired and that none of the circuits are overloaded.
The next step in preventing fires is to make sure all appliances in your home are in good functioning condition. Make sure the electric or gas connections for stoves, washers and dryers, refrigerators, hot water heaters, toasters, space heaters etc. are all in good condition. Check power cords for loose heads, exposed wires, or punctures/tears in the protective plastic cording. If there is any damage to the cord, throw out the appliance or have the cord replaced. In addition to making sure appliances are in good condition, you also need to make sure they are being used properly. Consult with the owner's manual for larger appliances, and heed any fire warnings. Make sure that any appliance that creates heat (like a portable electric or gas heater, or torch style lamp) is given at least three feet of clear space surrounding it. Never place an appliance that creates heat in an area close to something flammable, or where it could have something flammable thrown over it.
Appliances aren't the only source of fires, though. It's very important to remember that ANY source of heat, big or small, has the potential to ignite a fire. A good basic rule of thumb is to never leave an exposed heat source unattended. That means never leave the house with a candle burning, something cooking on the stove or in the oven, a space heater on, etc. If you have children in your home it's also imperative to keep matches and lighters far out of their reach.
Once you have your home as secure as possible, the next step in fire safety is to formulate a plan in case a fire does start.
One of the most important devices you can install in your home is a smoke detector. The early warning alarm that a smoke detector provides can buy valuable time to allow inhabitants of a house to escape a fire. A smoke detector should be installed in the kitchen, the living room, the garage, and ideally in every bedroom of the home. A fire extinguisher should also be installed in the kitchen (one of the most common starting points for fires) and in the garage as well if possible.
An escape plan should be created and discussed with each member of the family. This is particularly important if there are children in the family. Each child should be taught basic fire safety, which includes:
1.) If the smoke alarm goes off, stop and pause and assess the situation before acting. It is VERY important to emphasize to the child that they should not be scared and hide.
2.) If they smell smoke, or there is heavy smoke in the room drop to the floor. Smoke is hot and rises, so it is less dense along the floor.
3.) If they are in a room with a closed door, teach them to feel the door before opening it. If it's very hot, do not open the door! Seek another way out of the room.
4.) If the child should catch on fire, teach them to "Stop, drop, and roll" to extinguish the fire.
5.) Do not go back into a burning house to rescue toys or pets.
If you have a two-story home, fire escape ladders should be made available in each upstairs bedroom, and everyone in the household should know how to operate them. Plan several mock fire drills each year to practice your evacuation techniques. Be sure to establish a meeting place outside ahead of time so everyone knows were to go (this is an easy way to assure that everyone has gotten out of the house ok).
All fire safety methods, both preventative and reactive should be checked and tested at least twice a year. That means fire alarms, fire extinguishers, appliances, wiring, etc. should all be checked and fire escape plans practiced. An easy way to remember when to check is at the time changes each year. Fire safety is definitely a case where an ounce of preventing can save a life and is worth far more than a pound of cure.
|
| |
