How To Keep Your Home Safe From Dangerous Fires

Compared to the days of old, we live in safe times. Your much less likely to be a victim of crime, deadly disease, or a fire than in the past. This doesn’t, however, mean that they’re not possible. Take a fire. We have better safety precautions than in the past, but there are still hundreds of thousands of home fires each year; indeed, one happens every eighty-six seconds. Most fires are minor, and are quickly handled by the fire department, but it’s not something you want to take any chances with! Below, we take a look at the tried and tested methods of keeping dangerous flames at bay in the house.

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Safety Equipment
It doesn’t take much for a fire to start. You could accidentally catch your kitchen towel on the flame of your stove, or burn some paper on a candle. These can nearly always be kept under control, but you do need to have some basic safety equipment to prevent them from becoming more dangerous. A fire alarm (that is tested and works) will be your first line of defense; they’re an essential home asset for a reason. A home fire extinguisher, too, should be easily reachable. With these two, you’ll be able to stop those small fires from becoming a problem.

In the Kitchen
To prevent fires, follow where the flames are located. Every day, you’re cranking the heat up in your kitchen, and it’s understandable that this part of the home accounts for somewhere in the region of 50% of all home fires. With a little bit of know-how and common sense, however, you can significantly reduce the chances of a fire developing in the kitchen. For starters, don’t leave the stove unattended – you don’t know what an unexpected gust of wind through an open window could do. You’ll also want to avoid wearing baggy clothing when you’re cooking, and also remember to tie your hair back. If a fire develops in your oven, just close the door – it should go out by itself.

Child Safety
For the most part, it’s a good thing that children are curious. But this curiosity can also lead to dangers. While the dangers of playing with matches may be obvious to you, it’s not so obvious to your child. Indeed, the idea of putting a lit match to the face of their Barbie doll may actually make a whole lot of sense. But it doesn’t require a giant leap of information to see how this could cause a fire! Make sure that your children know not to play with matches (and other flames), and also keep them in hard to reach places (children are prone to ignoring what their parents tell them).

Heating Up the Home
There’s nothing better than spending a chilly winter’s day all wrapped up in front of a roaring fire. That is, so long as it’s controlled. Whatever type of fire you have, you’ll want to ensure that it’s probably maintained and that nothing ends up in there that might cause it to go out of control. You’ll also want to have fire’s chimney regularly cleaned by a company like Capitol Chimney Sweeping Services. All sort of dirt and debris can end up in there that can pose a grave fire threat to your home.

Stub It Out
We all know by now that smoking is severely bad for your health, but if you’re going to spark up, then at least do it outdoors, far away from all the flammable materials that exist in your house. A large portion of house fires happen each year all because a person flicked away their still-burning ash onto a material that slowly – and then quickly – caught fire. Before they know what they’re dealing with, there’s a serious fire happening in the house. Even more dangerous is smoking in bed; people are liable to fall asleep without first putting out their cigarette.

Electrical Hazards
We don’t give as much thought to what’s happening behind the walls as we probably should. Our electrical system is one of the biggest risks to our home, so it’s important that we’re regularly checking that everything is in safe working order, especially if it’s an old system in your house.

Sources of Heat
Finally, though it can be tempting, it’s best not to dry or warm up your clothes on a source of heat, such as a portable heater. It might seem like a good idea in the winter, but it’s a recipe that’s asking for trouble.