Plan & Prepare for a House Fire - Advice from Fire Damage Repair Professionals
When it comes to difficult incidents, there aren't many events as taxing than a fire that ruins your residence and personal belongings. Being a fire damage repair company, Paul Davis understands what a dangerous threat home fires are. Out of nowhere, it just takes a couple of minutes before flames are blazing. A fire in your house is a frightful and emotionally exhausting event, even if it damages everything or not. But you can prepare specific things to make sure that you are ready for when a fire occurs.Process and Practice an Emergency Strategy
Safety has to be the first concern when prepping for a home fire, and smoke alarms and fire extinguishers should be located throughout the home. Smoke alarms are critical because a fire can come out of nowhere and you have to take action as fast as possible. Another thing to think about with smoke alarms is getting ones that can catch smoke generated from electrical fires. Finally, any children residing in the home have to be taught about what a smoke alarm sounds like when it goes off and what to do when it occurs. Some other precautions consist of outlining fire escape routes in your house. Create a strategy and ensure everyone in the home understands the fire escape routes – there needs to be two exits for each room in the house. Also, it's essential to have a planned meeting place outside so you know who gets out of the home. Another thing you should do is secure your important things like passports, photographs and birth certificates. You can create digital copies and place them into a cloud drive as a backup, and you can purchase a strong box to keep the hard copies safe too. Finally, make a record of all your personal belongings for insurance reasons in the event they're consumed by the flames.To Minimize the Risks of House Fires Implement These Steps
Here are a few things to recognize so you can minimize the dangers and risks that are associated with home fires:- Cooking: Always remain in the area during the time food is on the stove or in the oven and never leave it unattended. When you have to step out of the area, get someone to watch over the food until you come back.
- Appliances and Electrical: Worn down cords and broken plugs could easily generate a home fire, so be sure to check your appliances regularly for any issues. In addition, keep an eye on the switches for your lights because if they're hot, they have to be changed.
- Portable Heaters: Check that your space heater has a control mechanism and a thermostat, and it needs to turn off if it falls over.
- Fireplaces: Getting a proper screen for your fireplace is integral for the safety of your house and everyone who lives in it. Ensure that it is durable enough to stop flares and rolling logs. Also, you need to clean and maintain your fireplace regularly to remove the highly flammable creosote that builds up.
- Children: Children are inquisitive and fire is alluring to them, so teach your children that fire isn't a toy. Additionally, store your matches and lighters in a safe spot that's out of reach and out of sight.
- Smoking: Cigarettes and cigars are extreme risks for fire, and taking your smoking outside is the best approach to avoid a home fire. When you smoke inside, make sure you have ashtrays with deep walls and that you never smoke in bed or while you're lethargic. In addition, never smoke inside if someone in the home is on oxygen because this is very combustible.
