It’s impossible to eliminate the threat of fire at home. After all, most fires are caused by electrical issues and you need to have electricity in your home. The simple fact is that all the ingredients are there for a fire to occur, that’s why more than fifty people die per year in house fires.
The good news is that there is plenty you can do to ensure your house is fire-safe. This can allow you to tackle a small blaze. But, the main aim is to ensure you and your family have the time you need to get out safely.
Smoke Detectors
Check out these quality fire safety equipment suppliers and you’ll notice that one of the first things they sell and advertise is smoke detectors.
There’s a good reason for this. Fires create a lot of smoke, this can be more deadly than the fire itself. Smoke prevents you from finding your way out and can get in your lungs, causing health problems and death.
Smoke also rises quickly, meaning it will set off an alarm and alert you to a fire as soon as possible. It’s essential that you have them fitted on every level of your home, if not every room.
Other Fire Equipment
Fire extinguishers are designed to help you tackle small blazes and fire blankets are useful for smothering fire on people of chip pans. But, these are fire fighting measures, not ways to ensure you can get out of your home safely.
It’s worth looking at the other fire equipment on offer, such as smoke curtains. These install into your ceiling and drop halfway down the room the moment smoke is detected. They won’t prevent a fire from happening but they will contain the smoke while the alarm alerts you. This buys you additional time to get safely out.
Consider Flammable Items
If you look around your home you’ll find there are plenty of flammable items, such as cardboard for the bin, lawn clippings, and even some of your furniture. You should ensure that all these items are removed from the home where possible and, if not, kept away from any potential ignition source.
It can be hard to identify all of the flammable items you should move but even trying helps reduce the risk of a house fire.
Fire Escape Plan
It’s vital that you think about the best route out of your house if a fire does happen.
You can’t assume the most obvious route will be safe or passable. That’s why you need to create a fire escape plan that has two exit options for every room in the house. Make sure everyone in the house knows the plan. If the smoke detectors go off everyone should follow the plan. The only aim is to get out and stay out.
It can be useful to practice regularly.
Electrical Inspections
We’ve already noted that many fires start due to faulty electrics. This is something that can often be avoided by having an annual inspection. A qualified electrician can check all the wiring and circuit breakers in your home, ensuring your home is safe and reducing the risk of a fire.
It’s a small price to pay for your own safety.
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