Fire Safety Tips for your Home

Every year, millions of dollars worth of property are destroyed in the US due to domestic fire and countless lives of American citizens. Without proper safeguards and measures to keep fire hazards at bay, there’s a tremendous risk to the lives of people living under the roof with their hard-earned valuables.

Recent studies have outlined that over 3,000 Americans are lost to domestic fires every year, a staggering number! However, with caution and a little investment into countermeasures, you can avoid this unnecessary destruction of life and property.

Domestic fires can escalate into a full-blown inferno within seconds. So it becomes all the more important to take appropriate precautionary measures to protect your home and loved ones.

Tips to Prevent Fire at Home

Fire can be triggered by several incidents, like a spark in electrical appliances, room heaters, or a kitchen left unattended. Though you can’t predict any fire incident, you can take steps beforehand and prepare yourself if faced with such a situation.

Here are some tips to help you secure your home or office from catching fire:

• Install Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Many states have mandated the use of fire alarms and carbon & smoke detectors in offices and homes. It’s also necessary to regularly check and maintain these systems. The National Fire Protection Association predicted that two-thirds of fire incidents escalate due to non-functional smoke and carbon detectors.

Therefore, it’s advisable to check your fire warning systems at least twice every year to ensure their proper functioning.

• Install Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are a must in every household and business office. They’re your last-ditch defenders in case of fire that’s threatening to go out of control. Fire extinguishers should be placed at every level in an indoor setting and at conspicuous places so that they’re accessible by anyone.

If you’re in an office with industrial appliances that are prone to fire hazards, it’s best to train yourself and the staff to properly use fire extinguishers in case of any emergency. Knowing how to use a fire extinguisher will help you if you’re facing the real deal and minimize the wastage of precious time in reading the instructions on the extinguisher. Having a proper fire safety and evacuation plan in place also helps to avoid panic.

If you have a basement, then it’s best to install fire ladders that can lead people to safety and away from the fire. Fire ladders are also useful in cases when a raging fire blocks the regular exit routes of a building.

• Check Electrical Issues

Short circuits in an electrical wire are one of the major culprits of domestic fires in the country.

Keep regular tabs on all the electric outlets in your home or office. If your lights are fluctuating consistently or the electric switch plate gets hot too often, call in an electrician and get the switch plate and wires checked. If need be, replace them with new plates and wires to ensure long-term protection.

Even if your electrical outlets don’t have such issues, it’s still wise to get them checked once every year.

• Follow Kitchen Safety Measures

Cooking is another major cause of fire outbreaks across the world. Just a little negligence can lead to a massive fire that is difficult to control, with great loss of life and property.

Obviously, people inside households are at a much greater risk of kitchen fires. But, by undertaking certain precautions, you can avert the catastrophe. These include keeping children away from the kitchen and not wearing loose clothing while cooking. Fires are mostly a result of unattended stoves, so be very careful to switch the stove off every time you leave the kitchen. Also, keep combustible materials away from the stove and oven.

You can take these precautionary steps to limit the possibility of a fire outbreak; however, if you do face such a situation, you’d want a fire extinguisher to be as close to you as it can. Keep a fire extinguisher dedicated to the kitchen and within your reach at all times.

• Be Careful with Candles and Open Flames

Keep any candles or incense away from curtains, rugs, and bedsheets. You can also cover your candles with decorative glass so that it doesn’t burn with an open flame. If you’ve children or pets at home, make sure that the candles are away from their reach. Most importantly, you shouldn’t leave open flames unattended to make sure that they don’t catch fire.

• Move Outside in Case of Fire

Even with the most immaculate details, there’s no way you can be 100% sure of such an incident. If your house or office has caught fire, it’s critical to escort everyone outside to escape the inferno. Once you’re outside, don’t go in for anyone or anything whatsoever. At this juncture, call in the authorities as quickly as possible to limit the damage of the fire.

• Install Automated Housing Systems

Automated housing systems like fire sprinklers and alarms aren’t just useful in dousing fire if it’s ignited, but they can also alert firemen and other authorities if it goes out of hand. These modern house safety systems require a monthly expenditure on your part, but if that means the safety of your loved ones and your belongings, then it’s an investment worth making.

PHT home security systems have automated security systems that can provide you with safety against fire and inform the authorities almost immediately in case of such an incident.

Install High-End Home Security and Safety Systems by PHT

Preferred Home Technologies security systems protect your home against unauthorized intruders, burglars, and fire hazards while safeguarding your valuables. With easy remote management and state-of-the-art security systems, you have peace of mind while leaving home, knowing that your loved ones will be safe and under your constant supervision.

Get in touch with us today and explore a wide array of security and alarm systems that safeguards your home with numerous other benefits.