The Importance of Planning for House Fires - What to Plan & Prepare
When it comes to difficult scenarios, there few events as draining than a fire that sabotages your residence and personal property. Being a fire damage repair company, Paul Davis knows what a serious threat house fires are. Without a signal, it just takes a couple of minutes before a fire gets out of control. A fire in your home is a horrible and emotionally draining situation, whether it damages everything or not. But you can prepare specific things to ensure that you are ready for when a fire happens.The Gravity of Fire Escape Strategies
Safety should be the first concern when preparing for a house fire, and smoke alarms and fire extinguishers should be placed throughout the house. Smoke alarms are critical because a fire can come out of the blue and you need to do something as quickly as possible. Something else to think about with smoke alarms is obtaining ones that can catch smoke caused from electrical fires. Finally, any children living in the house need to be educated on how a smoke alarm sounds when it's triggered and what to do when it occurs. Next, get your emergency program in place. Everyone in the house should know two ways to escape from every room and where to gather outside when a fire occurs. Also, ensure that everyone knows how to call 911 in the incident of an emergency. Taking inventory of your personal belongings is a good idea for insurance reasons in case all your stuff is damaged by the flames. You'll also want to keep valuable items like passports and birth certificates in a fire safe box, and you can make digital replicas and upload them to a cloud drive for added measure.Things to Think about to Decrease House Fire Risk
Here are some aspects to keep in mind so you can minimize the perils and dangers that are commonly connected with house fires:- Fireplaces: It's necessary to regularly clean and examine your fireplace and chimney for damages and creosote. Get a screen for your fireplace that is durable and big enough to catch sparks and block logs from rolling.
- Portable Heaters: Not under any circumstance should you allow a space heater unattended, and keep flammable items three feet away from it. It's also fundamental for your portable heater to have the correct features for safety. For example, it shutting off when it tips over.
- Smoking: Cigarettes and cigars are serious fire hazards, and smoking outside is the finest way to avoid a house fire. When you smoke inside, check that you have deep ashtrays and that you never smoke in bed or while you're drowsy. Also, not under any circumstance should you smoke inside when someone in the house is on oxygen because this is very combustible.
- Children: Keep any lighters or matches in an area that is out of sight and out of reach from kids to prevent their curiosity from lighting a fire. Teach your kids that fire is not something to play with as well.
- Cooking: The kitchen is one of the most common places for a fire to happen. It's important to be aware of what's in the oven or on the stove, and when you need to step out, have somebody keep an eye on it until you return.
- Appliances and Electrical: Make sure to do a routine check on your appliances and make sure the plugs and cords are in working condition. If your light switches are hot to the touch, then you need to replace them.
