Fire Prevention Week is right around the corner, and as a reminder, we want to encourage everyone to take fire safety seriously. Many fire related deaths and injuries happen in the home, and can be prevented through proactive measures. For the next week or so, make sure to implement these fire prevention best practices into your home to keep you and your family safe.
Have working smoke alarms in your home.
Smoke alarms save lives, and can alert your family of a fire hazard before it becomes deadly. Smoke alarms detect fires in the early stages, and can mean the difference between life and death. However, they need to be properly working to protect your family. Therefore, make sure to test your smoke alarms every month. Listen for a chirp or siren, and if there is no sound, you’ll need to replace the battery as soon as possible.
It’s also a good idea to get your smoke detector inspected, because defective smoke detectors may not work properly during an emergency or may go off periodically for no reason.
If you’re looking for something a bit more high tech for the home, Nest offers a smoke alarm that can be connected to your smartphone. It will let you know exactly where the fire danger is, and even monitors for carbon monoxide. To keep your family safe during Fire Prevention Week, always make sure your home has working smoke detectors.
Make sure your family has a fire escape plan.
Fire can strike any moment – during dinner, bedtime, or even before you get the kids on the bus. Therefore, it’s very important that your family has a fire escape plan. In a fire escape plan, everyone should understand the exits in each room, know where all the smoke alarms are located, where to meet outside, and who to call when a fire emergency strikes.
Additionally, rooms on a second or third story floor should have access to an escape ladder in case fire is blocking doorway to stair exits.
For proper fire prevention, make sure to practice the escape plan with the whole family every season as a friendly reminder.
Be cautious of cooking.
Kitchen fires are a serious cause of house fires, but they can certainly be prevented. First, never leave the kitchen unattended when food is on the stove or in the oven. Secondly, always clean up any grease in the cooking area, because it can flare up and cause a serious fire. Third of all, always keep flammable objects away from the stove because towels and other items can catch fire and spread. Lastly, always keep children away from the stove. Not only can they injure themselves, but if they get curious they may play with dials, knobs, or buttons, which can cause food to burn, smoke, or even catch fire.
Be cautious about indoor heating.
As we approach the cooler months, your thermostat may be seeing more use than normal. Additionally, if you use something like a wood stove or fireplace to help keep warm and save a bit of money on heating expenses, make sure you’re extra careful. Home fires tend to increase during the winter months, so fire prevention is a must.
To prevent fires from spreading into your home, always make sure to monitor the fire and never put anything flammable near it. Now is also the time to get your chimney cleaned if you haven’t. Soot, grime, and other materials can build up in your chimney overtime and become a fire hazard. If your chimney needs a proper clean, let our friends at Barrows Chimney help you out. They’re qualified professionals and can help you and your family stay safe during the winter months.
For more fire prevention tips, make sure you have the right coverage on your homeowners insurance policy by clicking the button below.
