Over 365,000 fires and 2,650 civilian deaths occur every year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. These residential fires cause upwards of $7 billion in property damage, a statistic made all the more sobering by the fact theat nearly all home fires are preventable. Sarasota homeowners can keep their families and property safe with basic fire safety prevention. The following fire prevention tips are easy to implement and may make all the difference in preventing a tragedy.
Basic Fire Prevention Tips
There is a home fire reported every 86 seconds in the United States. (Source: NFPA) That equates to over 1,000 fires a day.
Residential fires have a variety of causes and are in large part preventable. In fact, the leading cause of home fires is unattended cooking surfaces, which represent approximately half of all fires. Other culprits include heating equipment, electrical malfunction, arson and smoking. Here are the primary steps you can take right away:
- Install smoke alarms on every floor, in every zone, and in every bedroom. Bedrooms are especially important as half of the fatalities reported occur at night, when people are sleeping. Smoke alarms should be tested monthly and batteries changed when needed. If your smoke alarm begins to “chirp,” replace the battery immediately.
- Keep fire extinguishers nearby the kitchen, garage, and anyplace there are electrical panels, fuses, or wiring. Familiarize yourself with how to use the extinguisher, and teach your family.
- Never leave food cooking unattended. This is especially true of stoves which utilize flame, and deep fryers and other appliances which utilize oil.
- If possible, do not use portable or fixed space heaters, as these types of appliances are the second most frequest cause of fires.
- Formulate a fire evacuation plan that allows you to leave your home in under two minutes from any place in the home. Practice it with your family.
- Never smoke in the house. Discard cigarette butts responsibly.
Electrical Fire Safety Tips
Electrical problems are another of the leading causes of residential fires. Therefore, it is important to hire a licensed electrician whenever doing any type of electrical project in the home.
- Check that electrical cords do not cross doorways, and avoid running them under carpets – in both cases they can be worn and damaged.
- Limit the number of plugs in electrical outlets or power strips. Overloading an electrical outlet can trip a breaker and start a fire.
- Use light bulbs that match the recommended wattage for each lamp of fixture, and not above.
Fire Prevention Tips for Children
Never let young children play with matches, lighters or candles. Store these items up and away from children. Teach children that in the event of fire:
- if a doorknob is hot, do NOT open the door.
- how to “Stop, Drop, and Roll.”
- to crawl on their hands and knees if they see smoke.
- never hide under the bed or in the closet
You may also wish to bring your children to a fire house to see what a fireman looks like in full gear. By understanding what they look like, they are less likely to hide from them when already scared.
There is no way to completely guarantee that your home will not experience a fire, but some simple precautions can significantly minimize your chances of a fire occurring.
You will also want to speak with your home insurance provider to ensure that your home is properly insured in case of fire. Each year, review your home’s worth, any possessions you may have acquired, and any changes to your status.
Anderson & Associates Insurance Group provides comprehensive home, vehicle and business insurance to South Florida residents.
