There is nothing more traumatic for your family and home than waking up in the morning to the smell of smoke and fire. Every year, there are more than 365,000 fires along with 2,650 civilian deaths, resulting in $7 billion worth of property damage. One of the worst things about home fires is that they are often preventable. This article will share 10 home fire safety tips to help you prevent the worst from happening.
Fire safety preparation and prevention can keep you, your family, and your home safe. Learn how to practice these home fire safety tips at home, from creating a fire escape plan to checking your smoke detectors.
Home Fire Safety Tips
Home is the center of your life – a place in which loved ones gather and belongings are stored. Follow these tips to protect your home from fires.
- Ensure that smoke alarms are installed on every floor of your home. Check them monthly to ensure they are functioning correctly. Homeowners should perform battery replacement every six months.
- Practice your family’s fire escape plans. It’s important to plan the evacuation route from each room, the tools for exiting the house (escape ladders, items to open windows), and where you will meet. Fire safety is essential for children, so make sure your children become familiar with the alarm(s).
- Do not place grills, cookers, or fryers near shrubs or bushes. Keep outdoor cookers at least 3 feet away from any dwelling or structure.
- Avoid placing space heaters near anything flammable by at least 3 feet. Always turn off the heater before leaving or going to bed.
- Annually service chimneys, fireplaces, wood stoves, and the central furnace.
- Consider installing an alarm that combines lights, vibrations, and sounds if someone in your home is deaf or hard of hearing.
- Store gasoline in an approved petroleum storage container in the garage or shed.
- Put the lid back on flammable products when they’re not in use.
- Ensure that all electrical outlets in your kitchen, bathrooms and other wet areas are equipped with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI).
- Fire extinguishers should be kept at every level of your home. They should have an ABC rating so that they can be used in any type of fire.
Be Smart With Candles
In residential structures, candles cause an estimated 15,600 fires per year, 150 deaths, 1,270 injuries, as well as $539 million in property damage. Because of a power outage or shutdown, candles were used as lighting sources in many reported cases. You can prevent the need to light candles with an emergency flashlight and batteries.
Review Your Homeowners Insurance
The last thing you need after a devastating house fire is an insurance policy that doesn’t meet your needs. Guided Solutions can help prevent this disappointment before a fire happens. Contact our insurance experts today and see how.