The Importance of Planning for House Fires - What to Plan & Prepare
As far as detrimental disasters go there aren't many events as staggering as a fire that destroys your home and personal belongings. A fire in your home is a frightening and an intensely draining event, whether it damages everything or not. Yet, there are certain measures you can implement to lessen the chances of a fire from happening in your residence. The fire damage restoration team at Paul Davis understands the severe situation of home fires and that's why it's important to know how to prepare your home and what to do when a fire occurs.Get Your Residence Prepped for a Fire & Always Have a Fire Escape Plan
One of the more critical things you can do to plan for a home fire is to have safety rules ready. Because not all fires are preventable, being safe is a necessity. All properties need the proper amount of fire extinguishers and smoke alarms set throughout the property. You should also think about getting smoke alarms that trigger from smoke that is caused by electrical fires since faulty wiring is one of the main culprits of home fires. Kids in the home should be taught how a smoke alarm sounds when it goes off and what to do when it does. Other safety measures include outlining fire escape routes in your residence. Create a strategy and make sure everyone in the home knows the emergency fire escape routes – there needs to be two exits for every room in the home. Also, it's crucial to have a designated meeting spot outside so you know who gets out of the home and who is absent. Taking inventory of your personal belongings is a great idea for insurance reasons in case all your stuff is damaged by the flames. Additionally, you'll want to keep valuable items like birth certificates and passports in a strong box, and you can make digital copies and upload them to a cloud drive for back ups.What to Think about to Decrease House Fire Risk
Even though some fires are uncontrollable, there are some safety measures you should execute to avoid a home fire:- Portable Heaters: Not under any circumstance should you allow a space heater unattended, and keep flammable objects three feet away from the heater. It's also critical for your heater to contain the correct safety features. For example, the heater shuts off when it tips over.
- Appliances and Electrical: Worn down cords and damaged plugs could easily produce a home fire, so be sure to check your appliances regularly for any problems. In addition, check up on your light switches since if they're hot, they need to be replaced.
- Children: Store any matches or lighters in a place that is out of reach and out of sight from children to stop their inquisitive nature from lighting a fire. Explain to your children that fire is not something to play with too.
- Cooking: Stay in the kitchen at all times during the time you're cooking and don't leave it alone. If you need to leave the kitchen, get someone to watch over the food until you come back.
- Smoking: Cigarettes and cigars are serious risks for fire, and taking your smoking outside is the best way to avoid a home fire. If you smoke indoors, make sure you have deep ashtrays and that under any situation you don't smoke in bed or while you're lethargic. Additionally, never smoke indoors if someone in the home is on oxygen since this is very explosive.
- Fireplaces: Creosote is very combustible and it develops in your fireplace after it's been used, so make sure to get your fireplace cleaned regularly. Getting a large, sturdy screen is also important to avoid sparks from entering the room and rolling logs.
