5 Tips to Prevent Fire Damage in Your Home

12/1/2021 (Permalink)

A fire can happen anywhere and anytime. In fact, your home is one of the most likely places for a fire to start because you have all those electronic devices that are plugged in. Here are 5 tips on how to prevent a potential disaster from happening:

1) Change the batteries in your smoke alarms regularly

Change the batteries in your smoke alarms at least twice a year, whether they need it or not. If you have older model smoke detectors with non-replaceable (long lasting) lithium battery backs make sure to check with your manufacturer regarding when replacement is required as these can last up to ten years before needing any replacement.

Make sure your smoke detectors are working properly by testing them monthly. If you have any doubts about their condition, replace them immediately. The faster a fire is detected, the less damage it will cause and the better chance you have of escaping safely.

2) Make sure that you never leave anything cooking unattended on the stovetop

If something catches fire in your kitchen make sure everyone knows how to get out of the house but also know where smoke is pouring from so that you can alert others about an exit route as well as not getting trapped by flames themselves. If possible try to extinguish any open flame before leaving yourself (e.g., using baking soda) and always close doors behind you when fleeing; this may prevent further spreading of fire.

3) Use electrical safety plugs whenever possible

Use electrical safety plugs in your kitchen and other high traffic areas of the house to prevent any potential short circuit from starting a fire. Make sure that you unplug all appliances when they are not in use. Make sure you only plug in one appliance at a time and make sure it is switched off before inserting another item into an outlet. If you do notice that something is wrong with an appliance (e.g., sparking) make sure to unplug it immediately and contact a professional before using it again. Do not overload your outlets as this can lead to fires due to overheating, among other issues such as electric shock or short circuit.

4) Keep any combustible materials away from open flames or sources of heat such as stoves and candles

Never keep flammable liquids, including gasoline and cleaning fluids near a heat source. They're highly combustible and if they ignite it'll be hard to put out the fire so don't take the chance of having to deal with this kind of problem.

5) Keep furniture away from the fireplace

The heat generated by a fire can cause furniture to catch on fire, making it very dangerous if you are not expecting this. In addition, make sure that your curtains and other combustible materials near the fireplace aren't too close that they can easily catch fire.