Fire Safety Tips

2/1/2021 (Permalink)

House fires are sudden and unexpected.  Studies show that you may only have two minutes to escape from a home fire and get to safety, which does not seem like much time.  However, Following these tips from the Red Cross will not only help you prevent house fires, but they will also help you prepare and make sure your family is safe if one ever does occur.

1. Get Rid of Fire Hazards

Identifying and taking the necessary precautions to ensure that you do not have fire hazards in your home is important.  This means all electronic items that produce heat should always be at least three feet away from anything flammable.  All space heaters and electric blankets should always be turned off when they are not being used.

2. Always Avoid Smoking in Bed

Smoking in bed is dangerous because of the possibility of hot ashes igniting your flammable bedding.  It is also important to make sure all candles are put out when being left unattended.

3. Make Sure Your Children Are Informed

Talk to your children about the importance of not playing with lighters, matches, and fire.  You can take an extra precautionary step by keeping all matches and lighters up high and out of reach or locked up in a place that your children cannot access.

4. Check Your Smoke Alarms

Be sure you have working smoke detectors on every floor of your home and on the inside and outside of every sleeping area.  These should be checked monthly to ensure the batteries are working, and they should be replaces every 10 years.

5. Make a Plan

Discuss your outside meeting spot with your family and come up with an escape plan.  This escape plan should be practiced at least twice a year, and you should make sure that every member of your family is able to escape in less than two minutes.