Home Fire Prevention - Simple Steps to Follow

By Ryan J. Smith

It is estimated that over 300,000 home fires occur annually.
Although a fire alarm plays a key role in fire survival, it
would still be more beneficial to prevent a fire from ever
starting. Home fires can be prevented, provided that
precautionary measures in your common household practices are
followed.

While you cannot predict what type of fire you will experience,
it’s always better to minimize hazards by conscientiously
following some easy steps to prevent home fires resulting from
the three leading causes – cooking, cooling and heating
equipment, and electrical wiring.

Steps to prevent cooking fire

As home fires are mostly caused by cooking equipment,
prevention should focus on this aspect by strictly following
these safety practices:

• Do not disable your smoke alarm. Position it someplace where
its sound won’t be a constant nuisance of false alarms, but
where it can still adequately detect small fires occurring in
the kitchen.

• Do not forget to watch the food being cooked as most of the
fires originating from the kitchen are due to unattended
cooking.

• Set a timer so you will not forget that you’re cooking
something should you need to leave the kitchen.

• If you have kids, keep them away from any appliance when
you’re cooking. Restrict them from playing in the kitchen
especially near the stove.

• Avoid wearing loose fitting sleeves or clothing while cooking
as these can easily catch flame.

• Avoid storing any items behind the stove so you won’t have to
reach over it should you need to get anything.

• Keep pot and pan handles directed inward to avoid
accidentally pulling or knocking them off the stove.

Preventing fires from cooling and heating equipment

The next most common origin of residential fire is caused by
heating and cooling equipment. Home heating equipment pertains
to central heating units, space heaters that can be moved or
firmly stationed, fireplaces, and heat conduction systems.

Below are useful steps to follow in preventing fires from this
type of equipment:

• Have your heating, cooling and water devices checked yearly
by a qualified technician to ensure that they are functioning
well.

• Ensure that your fireplace chimney is regularly checked and
cleaned. Have it swept at least once a year.

• Never leave a portable heating device on unattended or while
you are asleep. These air heating devices are designed only as
temporary adjunctive heaters and should be operated only when
someone can attend to them.

Use only portable heating devices that have been sealed by a
nationally accredited testing group. These devices have
undergone sufficient testing in terms of safety requirements,
and their manufacturers have provided vital use and care details
to their users.

Preventing fires due to electrical wiring and lighting

Faulty wiring and lighting comprise the third leading cause of
home fires. Many of these electrical fires are due to faulty
outlets and old wiring that are malfunctioning. Other fire
causes include frayed appliance cords and busted safety plugs.

To prevent fires resulting from electrical cords and lighting,
you should:

• Discard any cracked or stiff electrical cords. Old, overused
and flexed cord insulation is usually damaged.

• Check for tattered or loose wires in electrical cords as
these can cause fires. Have these cords replaced right away.

• Avoid using extension cords for long periods. Be sure to
install additional outlets when needed.

•Keep flammable items away from light bulbs (particularly
halogen types) as these can get extremely hot and set nearby
combustibles on fire.

• Never cover a lampshade with a piece of clothing or towels.
Lamps without cover should not be used in cases where they might
fall down onto a bed or sofa.

• Check for the right wattage specified for a certain fixture
and use it only. High wattage bulbs can lead to the overheating
of the fixture which can trigger a fire.

About the Author: Visit
http://www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com - Your Source for Home
Fire Protection. In 2008 Ryan retired from the senior management
team of an industry leading fire protection company in North
America to focus on improving home fire protection. Blog
http://www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com/bl

Source: iSnare

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Home Fire Prevention