Fires are deadly. It only takes a few minutes for Smoke and fumes to disable the occupants of a property when Fire breaks out, which is why so many people are killed each year as a result of house fires. Fire also causes a huge amount of damage, even when the fire is relatively small. Thankfully there are lots of ways you can protect you and your family from the devastating effects of fire – and here’s how.
Install Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms are the Number One fire preventative strategy. A smoke alarm will alert you if there is any smoke detected, even if you are fast asleep at the time, as the shrill beeping is very hard to ignore. Always have a smoke detector installed upstairs and downstairs and check out AOV Teal products for communal stairways. The best types of smoke detectors are wired into the mains electricity, but if you opt to buy a cheaper, battery powered device, make sure you check the battery regularly and replace if necessary.
Buy Fire-Safe Furniture
New furniture has to be fire-safety rated before it can be sold. Older furniture, specifically upholstered sofas and chairs, were not regulated in the same way and were therefore more likely to contain flammable materials. Check your existing furniture – there should be a label attached to say it does not contain flammable materials. If there isn’t one, or the item is old, replace immediately.
Check the Wiring
The majority of house fires are caused by electrical faults. Faulty small appliances and dodgy Christmas lights are responsible for many fires, but overloaded power outlets and worn electrical wiring are also at fault a lot of the time. If you live in an older property, have the wiring checked by a licensed electrician, and if there are sections of old, frayed wiring, or rodents have chewed through the cables in places, have the place re-wired to make it safe. You should also avoid overloading power outlets – use fused extension cable if you need more sockets.
Beware of Candles
Candles may be romantic, but they are a common cause of house fires. The problem is that we light candles and then forget about them. If the candle is knocked over by your cat or a gust of wind blows a piece of paper over it, the room will be alight within a minute. Always extinguish candles when leaving the room and never place candles close to curtains or loose fabric
Keep a Fire Blanket in the Kitchen
Fires often start in the kitchen. Pans overheat, oil catches light and the grill is left on when the cook falls asleep on the sofa after a boozy night on the town. It won’t take much for a pan fire to seriously damage your kitchen, so keep a fire blanket close by so you can extinguish the flames safely if the worst does happen.
You can’t completely protect your home from fire, but you can minimise the risk using a combination of common sense and simple precautions.
The post 5 Simple Ways to Fireproof Your Home appeared first on Thinkmag.
