In the Situation of a Fire - Plan Ahead and Prepare
The fire damage repair professionals at Paul Davis understand how serious house fires are. Not only can house fires ruin your property and personal possessions, but they are emotionally unsettling and make you feel insecure. Fires can happen without a moment's notice and can be generated by a number of variables, and they can be out of your control like natural disasters or your neighbor's house being on fire. Yet, there are still a few precautions you can implement to minimize the dangers of a house fire in your home.Design and Implement an Emergency Plan
Not all house fires are stoppable and there's only so much you can do. That's why the most important thing you can do is have safety measures in place. Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are necessary, and make sure you have the correct number to accommodate your home. Yet, you should think about using smoke alarms that can detect smoke from fires caused by electricity, since faulty wiring can be a cause of house fires. When you have kids, you'll want to instruct them on what the smoke alarm sounds like and what to do when in the situation where one goes off. Other precautions consist of planning out fire escape routes in your home. Create a plan and ensure everybody in the house understands the emergency fire escape routes – there needs to be two exits for each room in the house. Also, it's crucial to have a designated meeting spot outside so you know who gets out of the house and who is absent. Something else you should do is protect your important items like photographs, birth certificates and passports. You could create digital copies and place them into cloud storage as a backup, and you can purchase a strong box to keep the real copies secure too. Finally, take inventory of all your personal possessions for insurance reasons in the event they're engulfed by the flames.Things to Think about to Lessen House Fire Hazards
Though some fires are out of your power, there are some procedures you should execute to avoid a house fire:- Portable Heaters: It is vital to place any combustible or flammable items at least three feet away from a portable heater. You'll also need your portable heater to have a control mechanism too and other safety features such as turning off when it falls over.
- Appliances and Electrical: Check the switches for your lights to see if they need to be changed out. When you touch them and they're hot, that's a clue that they're faulty. Also, check your appliances for worn out cords and broken plugs.
- Children: Children are curious and fire is alluring for them, so educate your kids that fire is not something to play with. In addition, keep lighters and matches in an area that is out of reach and out of sight.
- Cooking: It's of the utmost importance to be observant in the kitchen and to not leave food being cooked unattended. Without exception have somebody there to monitor everything going on.
- Smoking: Indoor smoking makes your house vulnerable to house fires, so the best way to avoid a calamity is to smoke outside. When you do smoke inside, make sure you have proper ashtrays to stop a cigar or cigarette from rolling onto the ground. Yet, if somebody in the residence is using oxygen, do not smoke inside since oxygen is highly combustible.
- Fireplaces: Having a suitable screen for your fireplace is necessary for the safety of your house and everybody in it. Make sure it's durable enough to catch flares and logs that roll. You also should clean your fireplace and chimney consistently to clear away the highly flammable creosote that builds up.
