There are few disasters that can befall your home scarier than a house fire. These catastrophes cause many casualties and destruction to families’ precious belongings every year. Fortunately, there are preventative measures you can take right now to help prevent a house fire from happening in your home.
- Smoke Alarms
Although smoke alarms won’t prevent a fire, they are vital for warning you and your family to get out of the house should a fire occur. You should install fire alarms throughout your house and check the batteries frequently. It is best to check the batteries once a month and replace them every year. This will ensure your smoke alarms work should you ever need them.
- Keep Fire Extinguishers Nearby
Always keep a fire extinguisher in your home. These are the best way to keep a fire from spreading in your home before it causes extreme damage. It is best to keep one in every room where significant fire risk is present. This includes your kitchen and any other room with a significant heat source. Make sure everyone in your home understands how to operate a fire extinguisher.
- Be Careful in the Kitchen
A stovetop fire takes a little time to spread from your stovetop to the surrounding area. So, paying attention and never leaving your stove or oven unattended while in use is one of the best ways to prevent a house fire from erupting in your kitchen.
Another important thing to remember is to thoroughly clean your cooking area between uses to prevent food particles and other debris from catching fire on the hot burner. By the same token, always keep oven mitts, food packaging, cookbooks, and other items away from your stove.
- Watch Any Heating Sources
Your home’s heating system is another important place to perform preventative maintenance to prevent a house fire. Your heating system can collect dust and debris in filters and ductwork that can spark a flame. This can be prevented by regular cleaning as well as maintenance to prevent dangerous malfunctions
However, portable space heaters present an even bigger danger than your central heating system and correspondingly cause many more home fires every year. Whenever you use a space heater, ensure the room is properly ventilated.
Also, keep a minimum of three feet of distance between the heater and any combustible materials such as furniture and drapes. Finally, choosing a model with an automatic shut-off feature can prevent the unit itself from overheating.
- Use Electrical Cords Safely
There are probably quite a number of electrical cords plugged in around your home right now. Unfortunately, these can risk overloading the power supply, especially in case of a power surge. Using power strips with surge protectors as well as GFCI outlets can greatly reduce this risk.
Also, frayed electric cords can present a significant danger of starting a fire. So, replace any damaged cables and try to keep cables away from furniture as well as any combustible materials just in case.
- Avoid Smoking Indoors
Smoking is one of the most common causes of home fires in the U.S. The best way to prevent the risk is to keep smoking outside and ensure any material is extinguished before disposal. Before throwing away any butts in the garbage, douse them with water to ensure they are completely extinguished.
- Clean and Maintain Dryers
Your clothes dryer is a large appliance that produces considerable heat. Therefore, it is important to inspect and perform maintenance regularly. This will keep your dryer running efficiently and safely. Always clean out the lint trap before each use.
Conclusion
House fires are dangerous and frightening, so even though this list may seem like a lot, it is worth it to reduce the risk. Just taking the time to inspect your home and perform any of these preventative measures could save your life and belongings. So, please check and see if any of these tips could help you prevent a house fire right now.
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