One of the greatest dangers every household faces is fire. A moment of negligence is enough for a fire to break out and destroy your home or even the lives of those dearest to you. This is why it’s important not to leave anything to chance, but take all the necessary home fire safety steps to prevent or properly manage emergency situations. When your family and home are at stake, there are no cutting corners, which is why you really need to take the following advice into account if you wish to protect your home from fires.
Dealing with fire
Open fires are usually caused by various cooking appliances, which is the reason why you should never leave them unattended. This is particularly important when it comes to barbecues and fire pits, which you must keep an eye on at all times. Also, if there are smokers in your family, make sure they have put out their cigarettes, that no candles are burning and that any oil burners are turned off.
The critical moment to perform all these checks is before you go to sleep since people are much less likely to detect smoke when they’re asleep. This is why many people actually suffocate or die of CO2 poisoning before fire gets to their room. To prevent such tragedy, make sure you teach your children to be cautious when dealing with fire and ensure that all fire starters are kept safely away from the reach of children.
Outlets, power boards and cords
Many fires start as a consequence of faulty outlets, power boards and cords. Power boards mustn’t be overloaded and you should never use extension cords for heating and air-conditioning device. Instead, plug them directly into the wall.
Cords mustn’t be damaged or fried, while all electric outlet holes, particularly those rarely used, must be clean to prevent dust from catching on fire. Needless to say, all cords and appliances need to be plugged in properly, while the outlets should be firmly placed on the wall.
Smoke alarms
One of the most useful devices for fire protection and safety is definitely the smoke alarm. Such alarms should be installed all around the house, but most importantly in the kitchen. As soon as they detect smoke, they go off and alarm everyone in the house and even the neighbours that there’s too much smoke in the room. In order to be reliable, they need to be regularly inspected and batteries need to be replaced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Fire extinguishers
The easiest way to deal with fire instantly is to use a fire extinguisher. In order to be efficient, they have to be placed conveniently and every member of the household should know where the nearest one is and how to operate it. Also, if you live in an apartment block or housing complex there should be emergency evacuation diagrams and a fire extinguisher chart in common areas to familiarise yourself with. Remember that all these steps should be taken after consultations with an expert.
Protecting your yard
A fire can easily start in your yard if you live in an area that is known for bushfires, which is why it’s important to maintain your yard and keep your gutters free from twigs and dry leaves. What you should also pay attention to is to keep your firewood at a safe distance from your house if you want to prevent any possible fire in your yard from reaching your home.
Home fire safety measures mustn’t be taken lightly because the consequence might be devastating. Still, most fires occur because of a human error or an inadequate reaction to a potentially hazardous situation. As in most other aspects of life, education is the key. Feel free to consult experts from your local fire department and ask for help. After all, it’s your life and the lives of your family members that need protection.
