Home Fire Safety TIps

Posted by Alexa Branson on September 18th, 2019

Cook Carefully

Almost half of all house fires are cooking-related, states that the National Fire Protection Association.  And, of them cooking is the top element. In case you are cooking, also stay in the kitchen, in case you need to leave -- even for a brief time -- make certain to switch the cooker off.  Cooking safety tips from the NFPA: Stay steer clear of cooking when you have consumed alcohol; assess food frequently or if you are tired, and awake; and retain anything that may catch fire.

Never Leave Heaters unattended 

  Heating systems, notably space heaters and wood stoves, can quickly spark nearby household items.  Keep all space heaters at least three feet. Turn heaters off before going to sleep or leaving an area.  Never leave pets or kids unsupervised using a room heater or wooden cooker (the NFPA urges a 3-foot"kid-free zone"); along with the probability of starting a fire heaters and stoves pose a threat of burns, too.

Assess your electric cords.  

Faulty, deteriorating or cracked electric cords may result in an electric fire.  Check all of your electrical cords and repair or replace any harm. And don't overload circuits; plug in at one time only one appliance into every socket, the NFPA states; think about hiring an electrician if you want them, to include extra circuits or sockets.

Use LED not open flame.

Light candles may be an invitation to tragedy with decorations covering mantles and tabletops.  The NFPA suggests picking candles . They even smell like the real thing and sometimes flicker! The NFPA claims blow them out once you leave the area or go to sleep and maintain all candles at least 12 inches, if you have to have candles.

Test your smoke detectors.  

Jolene's smoke detector saved her.  Test smoke detectors and any carbon detectors and test batteries at least twice per year (many indicate doing this on daylight savings).  Stay safe by obeying the recommendations of this NFPA set up one inside each bedroom and on each floor in your home.