The Value of Planning for Home Fires - What to Plan & Prepare
As far as cataclysmic accidents go there aren't many incidents as staggering as a fire that ruins your house and belongings. A fire in your property is a harrowing and an emotionally exhausting situation, whether it ruins everything or not. But there are certain precautions you can implement to decrease the chances of a fire from occurring in your residence. The fire damage repair team from Paul Davis understands the serious situation of home fires and that's why it's important to know how to prepare your residence and what to do when a fire happens.Form and Practice an Emergency Strategy for Your House
Safety has to be the first concern when prepping for a home fire, and smoke alarms and fire extinguishers should be placed throughout the property. Smoke alarms are vital since a fire can come out of nowhere and you have to do something as fast as possible. Another thing to consider with smoke alarms is getting ones that can identify smoke generated from electrical fires. Lastly, any children living in the home have to be taught about how a smoke alarm sounds when it's triggered and what to do when it happens. Some other precautions include planning emergency routes in your residence. Design a strategy and make sure everyone in the home understands the emergency fire escape routes – there should be two exits for every room in the house. It's also necessary to have a planned meeting place outside so you know who gets out of the home. Making a record of your personal property is an excellent idea for insurance reasons just in case all your stuff is demolished by the flames. You'll also want to keep valuable documents such as birth certificates and passports in a strong box, and you can create digital copies and upload them to a cloud drive for added measure.To Lessen the Dangers of Home Fires Practice These Measures
While some fires aren't avoidable, there are a few things you can do to decrease the odds of a fire from happening in your residence:- Cooking: It's essential to be attentive in the kitchen and to not ignore cooking food unattended. Without exception have someone there to watch what's going on.
- Appliances and Electrical: Do a periodic check on your appliances and make sure the cords and plugs are in working condition. Also, when switches for your lights are hot to the touch, then you need to replace them.
- Portable Heaters: Establish that your heater has a thermostat and a control mechanism, and it should switch off if the heater falls over.
- Fireplaces: Creosote is extremely flammable and it develops in your fireplace after it's been used, so always get your fireplace cleaned regularly. Getting a big, sturdy screen is also crucial to prevent sparks from entering the room and rolling logs.
- Children: Keep any matches or lighters in an area that is out of sight and out of reach from children to stop their curiosity from lighting a fire. Explain to your children that fire is not a toy too.
- Smoking: Cigars and cigarettes are serious perils for fire, and smoking outside is the best approach to prevent a home fire. If you smoke inside, make sure you have ashtrays with deep walls and that you never smoke in bed or while you're drowsy. Also, never smoke inside if someone in the home is on oxygen as this is very combustible.
