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It is vital that homeowners and those living in a household take fire safety seriously. House fires are a common issue, and those inside the building during a fire can sustain serious injuries or die.
However, there are lots of things that you can do to prevent a fire from occurring in the first place, and if the house does catch fire, then there are things you can do to put it out.
If a fire occurs in your home, don’t assume that you and others will have a lot of time to escape. If a person was to breathe in the dangerous fumes, they might fall unconscious. If you are unconscious during a fire, the chances of surviving are extremely low.
In the United Kingdom, there were almost 50,000 house fires last year. It was reported that ninety people lost their lives during these fires.
Experts believe that many of the victims would have survived if their homes were fitted with functioning smoke alarms.
1. Invest in Quality Smoke Alarms
To prevent a tragedy from happening, fit your home with smoke alarms. These alarms are readily available from many traditional and online stores. They are so popular that you should have no problems finding an alarm within your budget.
Before fitting the smoke alarm, test it to see if it works. If you have moved into a new home that already has smoke alarms fitted, make sure that the batteries are working.
Most alarms have a button that you can press to ensure the device is functioning properly. Keep spare batteries in your home just in case your current batteries run low. Most alarms make a beeping sound when the battery is running low.
It is vital that you replace the old batteries with new ones as soon as the current batteries are running out of juice. Many homeowners forget to replace the old batteries which can prove disastrous.
The alarm might go off while you are cooking. If you are finding it frustrating, you might be tempted to turn off the device. If this is the case, don’t forget to turn it back on once you have finished cooking.
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2. Purchase a Fire Extinguisher
Fire extinguishers can help a person put out a fire, but there is no point in investing in fire extinguishers if the people living in the household don’t know how to use them.
Using a fire extinguisher can be slightly tricky, and if a fire occurs in your home, you will want to make sure that each person is confident enough to use it.
In case of an emergency, everyone should know where the fire extinguisher is located. It is pointless having a fire extinguisher stored in the attic, or in a cupboard where younger people can’t reach it.
If you don’t know how to use the extinguisher, read the manufacturer’s manual for advice. There are lots of streaming platforms on the web which have several tutorial videos on how to operate a fire extinguisher.
3. Invest in Fire Blankets
Fire blankets are another popular safety tool that can be used to contain small fires in your home. They are often used during kitchen fires to prevent people from getting burnt by the fire’s flames.
However, if the fire has already started to spread, a small fire blanket won’t be able to help. These blankets are used to smother the fire so that it won’t be able to gain access to oxygen. If the fire doesn’t have any oxygen, it won’t be able to spread.
Just like a fire extinguisher, everybody living in the household should know how to use the fire blanket.
Most people install a mount on their kitchen wall to store their fire blanket. If a fire occurs in the kitchen while you are cooking, you won’t have to leave the kitchen to get the fire blanket.
However, if there are other areas around the house where you think fire might occur, you should consider investing in a second blanket. Fires can spread extremely quickly, so you might not have enough time to get the blanket if it is too far away.
Having several blankets located around the home will help improve your home’s fire safety. However, you don’t want to store your fire blanket directly above or right next to cooking equipment.
Most fire safety experts advise their clients to store their fire blankets at least thirty feet away from cooking appliances and equipment.
If you don’t know how to use a fire blanket, you should find the instructions on the cover.
4. Ask Professionals for Advice
You should consider asking Fire experts to assess your property. They will have the experience and know-how to boost your home’s fire safety. They will check all of your equipment, and they will be able to explain to everyone in the household what to do if a fire occurs.
Once you have all the safety equipment at home, and you and your family are confident about what to do during a fire, you will be able to sleep better at night!
