4 Ways to Improve Fire Safety at Home
Home fires can have devastating consequences, including injuries and the loss of life or your house. Not all fires can be prevented, but there are a few tips you can follow to help improve fire safety at home.
4 Tips to Improve Fire Safety
With the combination of heat, flames, and smoke, even a small fire may have damaging effects. Fires can be caused by cooking, lightning strikes, cigarettes, faulty wiring, candles, and many other sources. When you implement these home fire safety tips, you reduce fire risks.
1. Choose Flame-Retardant Materials to Improve Safety
The speed at which a fire spreads is determined by materials in the home and the home’s floor plan. Some of the materials used in home construction are more flame-retardant than others, like spray-foam insulation.
When renovating, shop for fire-resistant materials. Bedding, draperies, and other items household items are available in fire-resistant fabrics. Such products slow the spread of flames if a fire breaks out, minimizing damage and reducing injuries.
2. Monitor Open Flames
You may light candles in your home for ambiance. Perhaps you have a gas stove or you burn logs in your fireplace on chilly days. Keep flammable objects away from open flames and don’t leave them unattended. When burning a fire in the fireplace, always keep a screen up to prevent damage caused by flying embers.
3. Check Your Fire Extinguishers
In the case of a serious fire, evacuate as soon as possible. However, if you observe a fire starting and have time to safely react, use a fire extinguisher to put it out.
All homes should have a fire extinguisher stored in the kitchen for easy accessibility. Keep these devices in the garage and on the second floor of your home too. Inspect your extinguishers annually and check their expiration date.
4. To Improve Fire Safety, Don’t Smoke Indoors
Many house fires are started by lit cigarettes: falling asleep while smoking, falling to completely extinguish a cigarette, or embers landing on something flammable. Only smoke outdoors, away from the house and any open windows or doors.
These are some ways to improve fire safety to keep your family and property safe.
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