Prepare & Plan for a House Fire - Advice from Fire Damage Restoration Professionals
When it comes to challenging circumstances, there aren't many events as taxing than a fire that harms your residence and personal property. Being a fire damage restoration company, Paul Davis understands what a severe threat home fires are. Without indication, it just takes a couple of minutes before a fire sparks. A fire in your residence is a frightful and emotionally draining situation, even if it destroys everything or not. But you can execute specific things to ensure that you are ready for when a fire happens.Form and Implement a Fire Escape Plan for Your House
One of the most essential things you can do to plan for a home fire is to have safety rules ready. Because not all fires are avoidable, being safe is essential. Every residence needs the right amount of fire extinguishers and smoke alarms placed around the property. Additionally, you should consider obtaining smoke alarms that identify smoke that is caused by electrical fires because damaged wiring is one of the main causes of home fires. Children in the home should be taught how a smoke alarm sounds when it's triggered and what to do when it does. Create fire escape routes and ensure everybody knows about them. Always have two exits from all rooms in the house. You'll also want to have a planned meeting location outside of the house so that you're sure everybody makes it out safely. Making a record of your personal belongings is an excellent idea for insurance reasons just in case all your property is damaged by the flames. You'll also want to preserve important things like birth certificates and passports in a strong box, and you can make digital copies and upload them to a cloud drive for added measure.What to Keep in Mind to Decrease House Fire Hazards
Even though some fires are uncontrollable, there are some safety measures you need to execute to prevent a home fire:- Smoking: Cigarettes and cigars are serious risks for fire, and taking your smoking outside is the finest method to prevent a home fire. When you smoke indoors, check that you have deep ashtrays and that under any situation you don't smoke in bed or while you're drowsy. In addition, never smoke indoors when someone in the home is on oxygen as this is highly explosive.
- Children: Store any matches or lighters in an area that is out of reach and out of sight from children to avoid their curiosity from starting a fire. Educate your children that fire is not a toy as well.
- Fireplaces: Creosote is extremely flammable and it forms in your fireplace after it's been in use, so always get your fireplace cleaned regularly. Having a big, durable screen is also important to prevent sparks from flying into the room and rolling logs.
- Portable Heaters: Never should you leave a portable space heater unattended, and keep flammable or combustible items three feet away from it. It's also necessary for your portable heater to have the right features for safety. For instance, it turning off when it tips over.
- Appliances and Electrical: Examine your light switches to see if they have to be changed out. When you touch them and they're hot, that's a clue that they're faulty. Another thing you have to do is check your electrical appliances for frayed cords and damaged plugs.
- Cooking: It's crucial to be aware in the kitchen and to not ignore cooking food alone. Without exception have somebody there to watch what's going on.