During the winter season, the risk of fire increases by ten times. For this very reason, you should take the proper precautions before winter starts.

Fire accidents are the third primary reason of death for children between 1 to 14 years of age. Approximately 120 children per year are killed by fire and smoke suffocation. However, the good news is that fire-related accidents at home in the U.S diminished over the past ten years. According to Injury Facts, the number of fire-related injuries decreased from 5,200 in 1980, going all the way down to 2,700 per year in recent years.

house_fire

 Reduce Fire Hazards at Home

When you are cooking at home, keep these suggestions in mind:

  1. If you feel exhausted or inebriated due to alcohol intake, it’s best to refrain from using the oven or the stove.
  2. Whenever you are cooking something, try not to leave the kitchen, to allow yourself to become distracted.
  3. Remain in the kitchen and check your food when you are cooking. It’s also a good idea to use a timer to remind yourself when you are done cooking or baking.
  4. Make sure you keep everything from your stove that might ignite.

Another main reason your home is prone to catching fire is heating. Follow the instructions below to avoid such fire hazards:

  1. Maintain a 3-foot distance from the stove to combustible objects such as paper, curtain, or rugs.
  2. Always check your heaters and chimneys. Switch off heaters and ensure not a single thing can ignite before you leave the room or house.
  3. When using a space heater, put it on a surface such as ceramic tile. You must not place it on a flammable surface like a carpet.
  4. Do not let your children or pets go anywhere near the space heater.
  5. When you purchase a space heater, you must buy models with the auto shut-off feature in case it falls to the ground.

Other than cooking and heating, other primary fire sources include smoking, burning candles, electrical issues in wiring, air condition, refrigerator, etc. To reduce the risk of fire in your home, follow the tips given below:

  1. Make a “no smoking” rule inside the house.
  2. Check all wires and remove any wire that is damaged.
  3. Shift to flameless candles.
  4. Do not let children reach matches and lighters. Keep them locked inside a cabinet.

Smoke Alarms Are Necessary for Your Home

Your home must be installed with proper smoke alarms. One-third of fire deaths at home take place because of the absence of an effective smoke alarm system. Smoke alarms give you an early warning before fire hazards escalate.

The National Fire Protection Association suggests the following:

  1. Installing smoke alarms is mandatory. You must install it indoors as well as outdoors, front yard and backyard. Try placing it on the ceiling or the high walls for better detection.
  2. Don’t install your smoke alarms anywhere near the kitchen. Keep your smoke alarms a minimum of 10 feet away from your kitchen to avoid any misleading warnings.
  3. Try using special fire alarms that include strobe illumination and bed vibrator for people with hearing difficulty.
  4. Perform monthly smoke alarms test.
  5. Periodically replace batteries inside the carbon monoxide detector.
  6. Change smoke alarms that are worn out and are old.

Come up With an Escape Plan

Almost every 88 seconds, a household fire is confirmed. When the smoke alarm goes on, you are left with a few minutes to make an escape plan because fire tends to spread fast. Therefore, you must come up with an escape plan. Get started by mapping the corners of your home and follow the guidelines, as stated by NFPA:

  1. Consider two ways to get out of each room in the house.
  2. You have to make sure all doors and windows that lead outside are functional enough to open without difficulty.
  3. Pinpoint secondary paths to escape, such as a window onto an adjoining roof or a foldable ladder from the top-story.
  4. Always make use of the stairs if you reside in a multi-story building. Avoid using the elevator at all costs.
  5. Appoint an outdoor place where everybody can reach easily. This place should be at a suitable spot away from the house.

How To Execute Fire Escape Plan at Home

When executing an escape plan, remember to follow these steps:

  1. It would be best if you exit the house with eyes closed and mouth covered. Crawl as low as possible to the floor.
  2. Make sure to close doors behind you.
  3. Your clothes might catch fire; when that happens, you need to lay on the ground and start rolling.
  4. It would help if you taught your kids how to escape fire independently and not rely on others to help them. One mandatory advice is to inform them never to hide anywhere during fire accidents.
  5. Test the handles of the door regularly so that they are functioning at life and death situations.

The Precise Way of Using Fire Extinguisher

Prioritize your safety. If you don’t feel confident enough before using a fire extinguisher, immediately call the emergency helpline. You need to know the different sorts of fire extinguishers. You cannot put out every fire by using all of them, some will work, and some will not work at all. NFPA suggests using a multi-functional device to extinguish a small fire that is not too heavy or too difficult to use for a home fire.

You need to go through the instructions every year to have a vivid idea of using a fire extinguisher. During an emergency time, you won’t have time in your hand to review the instructions.

Follow the steps below to learn how to utilize a fire extinguisher properly:

  • Take out the pin.
  • Do not target the top part of the fire; instead, focus at the bottom part.
  • Press the handle slowly.
  • Move the nozzle left to right.