How to Protect Yourself from a Home Fire

No matter where you are, your home is at risk of a home fire. According to the Red Cross, you may only have two minutes to escape your home in the case of a home fire. Therefore, preventing a home fire from happening in the first place is the only way to ensure the safety of you and your family. There are a number of steps and tips that you should consider when prepping your home for prevention. That’s what we will be discussing today.

Install/Check Your Smoke Alarms

This may seem obvious, but smoke alarms are something that many of us overlook or ignore. So many of us view our smoke alarms as an annoying beep that happens when it’s out of batteries or when we accidentally burn dinner. But the truth is that smoke alarms do make a significant difference. According to the National Fire Protection Association, about ⅔ of all fire deaths occur in homes with missing or non-functional smoke alarms. The evidence is clear: You need functioning smoke alarms.

First and foremost, you need to make sure that you have the correct number of smoke alarms installed. At the very minimum, this means you need smoke alarms installed on every floor of your home (including your basement if you have one), in every bedroom, and outside of every sleeping area. Most homes these days come with smoke alarms already installed upon the build.

You also need to test your smoke alarms once a month to make sure they are still functioning. If not, you may need to get them new batteries or replace the smoke alarm altogether. Lastly, make sure you replace the batteries in your smoke alarms annually. You want to make sure that when it matters, your smoke alarm works and can be audible to every family member so everyone gets out safe.

Establish an Emergency Plan

We all want to make sure that in a home fire, your whole family gets out safe. That’s why one of the best ways to protect your family in the event of a fire is to have an established emergency plan. This includes making sure that your family knows of at least 2 ways to escape your home in case of a fire, and that you have either a designated meeting point that’s a good distance from your home and a method of communication with your family after your escape.

Be Mindful of Your Flammable Objects

One way to prevent home fires is to keep in mind your flammable objects. Anything that’s flammable should be kept at least 3 feet away from anything that gets hot, such as space heaters, fireplaces, etc. Keeping a distance between all of these things will prevent something extremely flammable from causing a disaster.

Smoke Outside!

According to the American Red Cross, smoking materials are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States. If you’re a smoker, the best start is by smoking outside. If you can, use fire-safe cigarettes and put out any cigarette or cigar butts with water before disposing of them. You should also use sturdy and deep ashtrays to prevent anything from spilling out. Lastly, make sure that you are not smoking if someone in your household is on oxygen. Oxygen is extremely flammable, so smoking near that person creates an incredibly dangerous environment.

Monitor Your Heaters

Portable heaters can cause fires. Make sure to stay on top of them when they are on. You should also turn them off when you are leaving the house or going to bed.

Is Your House Number Readable?

In the event of a fire, the fire department needs to be able to read the number on your house. Make sure that the house number is readable, both during the day and at night.

Check Your Electrical Wiring

Electrical fires are very common, so make sure that you check the wiring in your house on a consistent basis to ensure that everything is in order. Some things you should keep an eye out for are frayed wires, sires that are nailed into the floor or go under rugs, and overloaded extension cords. You should also make sure that your outlets don’t have any exposed wiring.

There are a number of other methods you can employ as well. The American Red Cross and the National Fire Protection Association both have many resources surrounding how to prevent and escape fires. Are you in the market for new smoke alarms? Find out what PHT Security has to offer today!