Prepare & Plan for a House Fire - Guidance from Fire Damage Restoration Professionals
The fire damage restoration experts at Paul Davis know how disastrous house fires can be. Not only can house fires ruin your home and personal possessions, but they are emotionally jarring and make you feel insecure. Fires can happen without a moment's notice and can be produced by a number of variables, and they can be out of your control like natural disasters or your neighbor's house being on fire. However, there are still some steps you can take to lessen the dangers of a house fire in your residence.Get Your House Ready for a Fire & Always Have an Emergency Strategy
Safety has to be the first concern when prepping for a house fire, and fire extinguishers and smoke alarms need to be placed throughout the home. Smoke alarms are fundamental because a fire could come out of the blue and you need to do something as quickly as possible. Something else to consider with smoke alarms is getting ones that can identify smoke caused by electrical fires. Finally, any children residing in the house need to be educated on how a smoke alarm sounds when it's triggered and what to do when it happens. Implement fire escape routes and ensure everybody knows about them. It's vital to have two exits out of each room in the house. You'll also want to have a designated meeting spot outside of the house so that you know everybody makes it out securely. Taking inventory of your personal property is a good idea for insurance reasons just in case all your property is demolished by the flames. You'll also want to preserve 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.To Minimize the Chances of a Fire in Your Home Practice These Precautions
Even though some fires aren't preventable, there are some things you can do to minimize the chances of a fire from occurring in your residence:- Portable Heaters: Not under any circumstance should you leave a portable space heater unattended, and keep flammable or combustible objects three feet away from the heater. It's also crucial for your space heater to have the proper safety features. For instance, it shutting off when it tips over.
- Appliances and Electrical: Perform a routine check on your appliances and ensure the cords and plugs are in working condition. If your light switches are hot to the touch, then you need to replace them.
- Children: Children are inquisitive and fire is appealing for them, so educate your children that fire is not a toy. Additionally, store your matches and lighters in a safe location that is out of sight and out of reach.
- Cooking: It's fundamental to be watchful in the kitchen and to not leave cooking food alone. Without exception have somebody there to keep an eye on everything going on.
- Smoking: Cigarettes and cigars are severe risks for fire, and taking your smoking outside is the best 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. In addition, not under any circumstance should you smoke inside when someone in the house is on oxygen since this is highly combustible.
- Fireplaces: It's fundamental to clean routinely and inspect your fireplace and chimney for damages and creosote. Use a fireplace screen that is strong and large enough to catch flying sparks and block logs from rolling.
