How to Prevent a Fire
Fire injuries and burns are the third most common cause of fatal injuries in the home, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fires in the home often result from cigarette smoking, malfunctions in furnaces and appliances and from cooking accidents in the kitchen. You can help reduce your risk of an accidental fire by regularly inspecting the most fire-prone areas of your home and taking steps to correct any problems that you find. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Arrange for furnace inspections every year before heating season starts. Regular inspections are important in detecting problems in your furnace that could cause a fire. Keep newspapers, boxes and other combustible items far from your furnace.
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Exercise caution when using a space heater. Turn off the heater when you leave the room, and place the heater 3 feet away from anything that could burn. Don't try to extend the reach of your space heater with an extension cord. If the cord overheats, a fire could occur.
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Buy a fireplace screen and use it to prevent sparks from igniting carpeting, flooring, kindling, furniture or other items in the room. Before you begin to use your fireplace each year, have it professionally cleaned to remove creosote, a byproduct of wood fires that can cause a fire in your chimney.
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Remove lint from your clothes dryer after each load and make sure that your dryer is vented outside your home. At least once each year, clean out the lint that builds up under the lint trap, in the back of the dryer and in the dryer vent. Turn off your dryer before leaving your home and make sure that there is a smoke detector installed in your laundry room.
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Avoid overloading outlets with power strips that can accommodate multiple items, and don't use a higher wattage light bulb than is recommended. Don't use extension cords if possible, as they can easily overheat. Never use a frayed extension cord. Don't push your television up against the wall. If you don't allow air space around the TV, it can overheat and cause a fire.
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Smoke your last cigarette before you go to bed. Smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Don't smoke when you are tired, have been drinking or are in bed. Empty ashtrays every day and wet the contents before placing in the trash.
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Keep matches and lighters away from children, and don't leave kids alone when there is a fire in the fireplace or a space heater is running. Make sure your children know the escape plan if a fire should occur.
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Store gasoline in red safety containers that are kept outside the house. Make sure you wait for your lawnmower to cool down before adding more gasoline, and don't add gasoline in an enclosed area.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure there are working fire extinguishers on every level of your home, especially in the kitchen, workshop and garage. Read the instructions and make sure you know how to use the extinguisher. Place smoke detectors outside kitchens and bedrooms and on every level of your house. Test the smoke detectors every month and dust them regularly. Replace smoke detector batteries when daylight savings time begins and ends each year.
Resources
- Photo Credit Thorsten Hartmann
