House fires can be one of the most devastating events to hit a family. On average, 3,000 people will die each year as a result of house fires. Majority of these fires however, could have been easily prevented. The sad fact is that a house fire has the ability to spread quickly and within 2 minutes claim a life. In less than 5 minutes, a whole home can be completely engulfed. In knowing this, here are a few tips that you can do to prevent a house fire in your own home.
One of the most common causes of house fires is if you happen to smoke. You need to be sure that you’re extinguishing all cigarettes completely and, if you use matches make sure they are completely out. Never, leave your matches or lighters near small children. Make sure you keep your ashtrays clean and dispose of all cigarette butts promptly. You should never smoke in bed. This is the most dangerous spots in the home because; if you happen to fall asleep the cigarette can ignite the bed.
If you have a fireplace or use space heaters never go around them or, anyone else that is wearing loose clothing. These can easily catch fire and, all it takes is to have a piece of clothing too close to the fire itself. All fireplaces should have a safety cover to prevent little children from falling in or placing papers or other things into fire which can ignite.
If you like to have lit candles around the house make sure that they are in places that cannot be easily knocked over. Be sure that you extinguish all candles when they are not in use and, most importantly, never leave a lit candle unattended.
You need to also have your furnace checked yearly for any safety or fire concerns. Have any issues or problems fixed right away. Also clean out your vents at least every 3 months to prevent fires. Remove any items that are found and take a vacuum with a hose and vacuum thoroughly.
You should never overload circuits and, be sure that you are checking your appliances regularly for frayed or damaged cords. Electrical fires are another leading cause of house fires and, can be the most damaging.
One of the most important things that you can do to help prevent house fires is to be sure that you have smoke detectors installed on every floor in your home. Be sure that you are checking your detectors regularly and replace batteries as need.
Finally, another important way to prevent house fires is to be sure that you have fire extinguishers installed. This is especially important in areas such as the kitchen, laundry room, and the fireplace/furnace. Fire extinguishers allow you the ability to extinguish small fires before they become bigger.
