Home fires are commonly caused by electrical issues and are known to cause a lot of deaths every year. The saddest part is that, in many cases, the fire can be prevented and deaths avoided.
The key is to adopt the fire safety and prevention tips today, it can make a big difference should the worst happen.
Create a Plan
You need a plan. No matter how cool and calm you are under pressure it’s hard to stay focused when you’re thinking about how to get your children out and are disorientated by the smoke filling your home.
Smoke is generally a bigger killer than the fire itself.
Create an escape plan today. That means drawing your home and identifying the best exit routes in a fire. It’s a good idea to plan the route from every room and give two exit options. This will help to ensure you have a way out regardless of where the fire is.
You and your family will need to memorize the routes and you should have practice drills to make sure there are no issues with getting out. It’s important that everyone knows how to get out in a fire and not to take anything with them.
Remember, once you’re out you need to stay out. Every member of your family should be aware of this and stick to it. The right plan will ensure all family members are out safely, your house can be replaced, your life can’t.
Smoke Alarms & Other Fire Safety Equipment
Having a plan is great but you need to know there is a fire. Check out your local fire safety equipment suppliers and you’ll find a host of useful tools to help prevent a fire from spreading.
These include fire curtains and fire extinguishers. Of course, you should only tackle a small blaze yourself.
Most importantly, you’ll find the supplier sells smoke alarms. These are the most effective early deterrent system you can have. It’s best to put one smoke detector on each level of your home and make sure you can easily hear them inside your bedroom. They need to be capable of waking everyone up in the middle of the night.
Don’t forget to test these smoke alarms every month and never forget to replace old batteries.
Electrical Safety
Another important step in the fight against fires is to have your electrics inspected annually. Electrical issues can happen at any time but an annual inspection will help to minimize the risk. They’ll look for electrical leakage, short circuits, and damaged cables. All of these allow electricity to spark between wires, potentially igniting any nearby flammable substances.
An electrical inspection doesn’t guarantee you won’t have a fire but it does reduce the risk.
You do need to take sensible precautions, such as not falling asleep while smoking, blowing all candles out and not leaving them unsupervised, and even turning everything off at the sockets before you go to bed.
Reducing the risk is our responsibility and, with the right precautions, it’s unlikely you’ll ever have to deal with the devastating effects of a house fire.
