Waking up to the unsettling sound of your smoke detector going off can be a terrifying experience. In 2011 the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported that residential fires killed an estimated 2,550 civilians in the United States, and another 14,360 were injured in some way due to a residential fire. To help spread awareness during Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 6-Oct. 12), here are some tips to help keep you safe in your home.
Grimefires
As this year's theme for National Fire Prevention Week is "Prevent Kitchen Fires," it is important to clean any buildup of dirt and clutter occurring in your kitchen to avoid grimefires.
Cooking
In 2010 cooking was the result of 44% of reported home fires, 16% of home fire deaths, 40% of home fire injuries, and 15% of the direct property damage in 2010 according to the NFPA. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby in order to battle any open flames that may occur in your kitchen. The extinguisher should be rated for both grease and electrical fires.
- To use a fire extinguisher remember the acronym P.A.S.S:
- P - Pull the pin.
- A - Aim the nozzle at the fire's base.
- S - Squeeze the nozzle to spray.
- S - Sweep back and forth while spraying the fire's base.
Inferior Goods
Avoid buying counterfeit or substandard good. They can contain faulty parts that overheat or break causing fire or serious shock.
Extension Cords
Use only UL listed and fused multi-tap extension cords. Also, if your cord is faulty, cracked, or deteriorating, replace it. These can shoot sparks onto flammable surfaces and quickly result in a fire.
You should also never overload a circuit. Use a power strip instead.
Heaters
Heating systems, primarily space heaters and wooden stoves, can easily ignite nearby household items. Keep all space heaters at least three fee from household items. Turn heaters off before leaving a room or going to sleep. Nevver leave pets or children unsupervised with a space heater or wooden stove. In addition to the risk of starting a fire, heaters and stoves pose a danger of burns, as well.
Candles
On average 42 home candle fires are reported daily. More than half of these fires result because of a furniture item being too close to the candle. One-fifth of reported candle fires are due to the candle being left unattended, and over one-third of home candle fires result in the bedroom. Half of candle fires result during 12am and 6am, most likely due to the person falling asleep and forgetting about it. Out of the 12% of home candle fires started as a result of someone going to sleep, 36% of those resulted in deaths.
- Do not use open-flame candles when you are expecting several people at your home - holidays, for example. Instead, opt for LED tea lights to avoid a disaster from occurring.
- Also, during the holiday months , if you must burn a candle, keep it far away from decorations - Christmas trees especially.
- When packing your emergency home kit, it is advisable to pack flashlights and extra batteries instead of candles.
- Keep candles in sturdy-metal, glass or ceramic holders and placed somewhere where they can not be easily knocked over.
- Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn.
Smoke Detector
Test your smoke detector on a regular basis - at least every six months when you are supposed to change the batteries. If you have multiple floors in your home, a detector should be located on each floor. The best possible solution is to have a smoke detector in each bedroom if it is do able.
Resources: Allstate, U.S. Fire Administration
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