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One of the most horrific experiences anyone can have in their life is to see their home in flames, watching helplessly as their belongings and treasured memorabilia going up in smoke. Read on for some safety tips to try and create the safest atmosphere for you and your family to live in with little fear of fire invading your home.
The first and most obvious one is to have smoke detectors spread out through your home. Experts suggest one detector per level, at the minimum. But often people forget to check the batteries, and without power a smoke detector is nothing more than an eyesore on your ceiling. Set a date every six months to change out the batteries whether you feel they need it or not - the increased security is well worth the few dollars. Some people change out the batteries when switching to Daylight Saving Time and back again, setting up a routine. Whatever you choose for a marker be sure to stick to it and use the technology available to increase your security.
Fire extinguishers are another must-have item for any household. Ideally you should have one in the kitchen, one in the workshop or garage; one in the basement or laundry room and another placed in a closet or alcove in the center of the house layout to provide easy access no matter where the fire is discovered. It may seem like an expensive addition to your housewares, but these will give you a better chance to fight a fire than boxes of salt and trying to dump buckets of water gathered from the bathroom. Again, these need yearly checks to make sure they maintain their efficiency.
Now let's look around your home to spot potentially dangerous spots and deal with them.
The kitchen is where most fires start and it's not hard to see why. But you can minimize the danger here by keeping your eyes open for problems and removing them before they start. Dish towels and flammable items should not be anywhere near the stove, be it on or off. Many times a person has walked away from the stove and either forgotten to turn the burner off or has accidentally turned one on with a bump of the elbow or other such action. Keep your cooking area empty of potential fuel for the fire. If you cook with hot oil, keep your fire extinguisher at hand in case the oil is ignited through direct application of heat. You may be able to slap a lid on the pot or pan to try and suffocate the burning oil by depriving it of oxygen but having a proper tool for the task at hand will make you feel safer overall.
Much of the same holds true for the rest of your home. If you have a smoker in the family, be sure to keep plenty of ashtrays handy to catch the butts and ensure that there is either sand or cat litter in the base of the ashtray to suffocate the cigarette butt. Too many times a smoldering ash has survived a simple rubbing and continued on to grow and devour a couch or an armchair or a house.
The workshop can be a great place for you to spend your spare time, but can also be a deadly home for fire to start and spread. Make sure that flammables such as paint cans and aerosol cans are placed in a corner of your shop far away from any potential ignition, such as sparks flying from your machinery as you cut wood or metal. Clean up all sawdust and keep the area as clear as possible, not strewn with newspaper and cardboard boxes ready to fuel a fire. If you're into recycling, set aside a plastic box and stack your newspapers and plastic bottles inside; emptying the box as soon as possible.
But not every danger is visible. Make sure that the wiring in your house is safe and certified by a professional electrician. Don't have multiple items plugged into a single outlet using a plethora of power bars and extension cords - this is just begging for a stray spark to break free. Make sure that all your electrical cords are of good quality and not frayed or broken, exposing bare wire to your carpet or wooden floor. Clean the lint trap in your dryer after every load of laundry so that the heat doesn't build up in your dryer and possibly ignite the lint.
And, of course, have a family fire escape plan. Each member of the family should know where to go to if they discover the house is on fire and what to do when they get there. For example, your young daughter should leave the house immediately and go to the large oak tree in front of the house and wait for you. Your son should meet her there and they should wait for the rest of the family. Too many times tragedy hits when one member of the family rushes back into a burning house to find another, not knowing that he/she might already be safe at a neighbor's. Set up a routine and then practice it every few months to keep it fresh in everyone's mind.
Lastly, even if you find a fire and manage to put it out using a fire extinguisher call the fire department anyway. Many fires may seem to be dead but are simply smoldering, waiting for you to walk away before leaping back up to life. The fire department can verify that the fire is out and make sure that you've done a good job in protecting your home and family. Don't be afraid to call them for even a small kitchen fire; it's worth the protection and verification for all of you.
A home fire can be a devastating event for a family, destroying years of work and memories. But with a little work and awareness of your surroundings you can help lessen the chance that you'll ever have to deal with it.
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