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Precautions and
plans made today can prevent a fire-related tragedy tomorrow. Several steps
for avoiding fire risks are discussed below. What to do if a fire does
strike is also discussed. |
Have A Plan Of
Escape:
The first step during a fire is to get everyone out of the house. Planning
your escape routes now can prevent needless loss of life during a fire.
First:
| Map out escape routes from each room in your home with your family. Pay
particular attention to escape routes from bedrooms.
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Second:
| Agree on a central area outside your house to meet after evacuation so
that everyone can be accounted for. This may be a neighbor’s front door or
a neighborhood landmark. The meeting place should be a place that children
or injured people can reach without undue difficulty and yet still be safe
from danger. Meeting at the designated place can prevent a tragedy caused
by not knowing whether everyone has escaped from the building.
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Third:
| Have safety ladders near windows, if ladders are needed.
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Fourth:
| Smoke detectors are an excellent early warning device. They are your first
line of defense if a fire breaks out at night. Test your detectors on the
first day of each month. Replace the batteries in the spring and fall when
you change your clocks.
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Finally:
| Keep stairs, doorways and hallways free from obstructions. In dense smoke,
it may be difficult to see items blocking an escape route. |
Fire Extinguishers:
| Every kitchen should have a multipurpose fire extinguisher. Cooking is a
leading cause of fire. If a fire breaks out in the kitchen, you will want
an extinguisher close at hand. If there is a fire in another part of the
home, you will know that an extinguisher can be found in the kitchen.
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| Read the operating instructions on the side of the extinguisher now so
that you will know how to use it if needed. Finally, have the extinguisher
serviced at the time recommended by the manufacturer. The manufacturer’s
service recommendations should be set out on the side of your fire
extinguisher. |
Avoiding Fire Risks:
| As discussed above, cooking is a major cause of fire. Cooking oil can ignite
when it reaches the right temperature. Cooking oil can also splatter and
ignite items near the stove. Pot holders, paper napkins, paper towels,
curtains, loose clothes and long hair can catch fire in this manner. Do not
leave frying pans unattended and keep the stove area clear of clutter.
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| Cigarette
smoking is another leading cause of home fires. Never smoke in bed, do not
rest ashtrays on chair arms and be careful when emptying ashtrays in the
trash.
Chimney fires can be avoided by regularly cleaning your chimney. Maintaining
your chimney is discussed at the fireplace & chimney web page . As an
additional precaution, do not burn large amounts of newspaper or other paper
in your fireplace or wood stove. |
| Other fires can
be avoided by common sense precautions. Inspect electrical appliances for
frayed wiring. Replace all defective appliance cords. Electrical maintenance
and inspecting appliance cords are discussed at this
link. Keep your garage clear of rubbish and wood shavings. Dispose of
oily rags that can ignite by spontaneous combustion. Store flammable fuels,
chemicals and paints outside. |
In
Event Of Fire:
If a fire breaks out, immediately:
| Get everyone
out of the house. |
| Meet at the
designated area to count heads. |
| Call the
fire department from a neighbor’s home. |
| If you
discover a small fire that is still contained to its source, you can do
the following: |
| Cooking pan
fire. Cover a small oil or grease fire in a cooking pan with a lid to
smother the flames. Next, turn off heat to the pan. Do not use water on an
oil or grease fire. Water will spread the flames. Turn off the kitchen
exhaust fan. The fan can suck fire through the fan and ignite the outside
of your home. |
| Oven fire.
Turn off the oven and allow the fire to burn itself out. Do not open the
oven door - fresh air will feed the fire and cause it to continue to burn.
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| Electrical
fires. Do not use water on an electrical fire. Water and electricity can
be fatal. If you discover an electrical fire early, use a multipurpose
fire extinguisher. Otherwise, get everyone out of the house, meet at the
designated area and call the fire department. |
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