Every year there are more than 385,000 house fires resulting in over 14,000 injuries and 2600 deaths. Over 500 of those deaths are children 14 years and younger.
October is National Fire Prevention Month
Of course fire safety and prevention are important all year round, but October is a good time to evaluate:
- What your risks are for house fire (and more importantly, how you can reduce risk.)
- Your plan for how you will respond to a fire.
- How well your children understand fire prevention and how to respond to a fire.
Know your risks
Knowing the risks of fire is the first step to prevention. Most fires are caused by one of these four things:
Cooking: More than half of the house fires start in the kitchen.
Heating: Improper use of space heaters accounts for
nearly 10% of house fires.
Electrical: Old or faulty wiring cause over 26,000 house fires each year.
Candles and smoking: any open flame is a potential hazard.
Minimizing the dangers of a fire
Even if you take every precaution possible, fire can still strike your home. Being prepared for a fire is the best insurance that the loss is minimal and all your loved ones escape safely.
Steps to prevent fires
A house fires is the most preventable disaster there is, so let’s take a look at what we can do to prevent a fire in your home.
Never leave your cooking unattended. Use an electric, thermostat-controlled, fryer for deep-fat frying.
Don’t have curtains, towel racks or paper towel dispensers close to the stove.
If your microwave sits on the counter top, keep it clear of clutter and check that the vents are unobstructed.
Do not overload plug outlets.
Use the charger that came with your device. Charge your device on a hard, safe surface, and never on a carpet or bed. Don’t leave a charging device unattended.
Do not leave hair dryers, curling irons or hair straighteners on a carpet or bed. Unplug them when you are done using them.
Never leave the house with an appliance (such as a washing machine, dryer or dishwasher) running.
Dryers are responsible for 90% of appliance fires. Clean out the lint filter on your dryer after every use. Check the dryer vent and hose routinely for build-up. This also ensures more efficient drying.
If you have to use candles, put them on a hard, stable surface well away from anything flammable. Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach and sight.
Never plug more than one portable heater into an outlet. Keep all flammable materials at least three feet away from heaters.
Make sure the light bulbs in your lamps do not exceed the manufacturer recommended wattage.
Store gasoline or other flammable liquids at home in tightly sealed in metal containers, far away from any other heat sources, including the gas or charcoal grill you use in the summer.
Keep the grill at least 10 feet from the house and away from overhead branches or other structures.
Smoke Alarms
A smoke alarm is the single best investment you can make in fire safety. Have at least one on each floor of the house, focusing on the hallway between bedrooms, the kitchen, laundry room and near the furnace or water heater.
Test them once a month to make sure they are still working. Experts advise you to change the batteries every six months. It’s easy to remember if you change them when you set your clocks for daylight savings or standard time.
Fire Extinguishers
In 30 seconds a small fire can become a big fire. Fire can engulf a room in less than two minutes. But the average response time for fire departments in the US is 5 minutes and 20 seconds. That makes fire extinguishers a vital part of fire safety and survival.
At the minimum you should have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. If you have a fireplace or wood burning stove you should have an extinguisher nearby. The laundry room and garage are two other good places to have an extinguisher.
Every family member should know how to correctly use a fire exinguisher. Most fire departments offer training in the correct way to use an extinguisher.
Have an Escape Plan
After getting smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher, the next most important thing you can do to ensure your family safely survives a fire is to have a fire escape plan and practice it.
An effective plan will include (1) a Bug Out Bag (BOB) to get out safely, (2) two escape routes from each room and (3) a safe place to meet once everyone is out of the house.
1. Bug Out Bag
Unlike the 72-hour kit or other Go-Bags, the BOB is designed for the first five minutes of an emergency. Read more about it here. Each family member should have this bag hanging at the foot of their bed or on the closet door knob, somewhere easily accessible so they can quickly grab it as they leave the room.
2. Two Routes to Safety
Family members should know at least two escape routes for every room that is typically occupied. Avoid having bedrooms without an outside window. Keep your escape route as free from clutter as possible to ensure a quick and safe escape.
Families with babies or toddlers or someone with physical limitations will want to take those into consideration. It will likely be the parents who will ensure the littlest ones get safely out, but other family members should be aware of those needs and be able to help if needed.
Teach children to crawl low on the floor to avoid inhaling smoke as they make their way out of the house. They should cover their nose and mouth with any cloth that is at hand, such as a shirt or pillow case.
3. A Safe Meeting Place
Once everyone is safely out of the house, you should have a designated meeting place where you can do a head count, assess any injuries and decide what your next steps will be. Your designated meeting place might be a detached garage or a neighbor’s yard.
Practice your Plan
You should practice your fire escape plan at least twice a year. Practice it under different scenarios: in the middle of the night, on a cold or rainy day, when one (or both) of the parents is not home to supervise, etc. You want to help children learn about the choices they’ll need to make in order to get out safely. The goal is for everyone get out safely in fewer than two minutes.
Be confident. Don’t panic.
Make the fire drills fun and reward children for quick thinking and following the plan. The best way to forestall panic during a crisis is to help everyone, especially young children, feel confident that they’ll know how to respond if disaster strikes.
Don’t be one of the thousands each year who face catastrophic loss from fire. Take steps now to prevent and prepare.
