4 Tips for Keeping Your Home Fire-Safe

12/10/2020 (Permalink)

Maintain smoke detectors

Fire Preparation

A home fire is an unthinkable tragedy. However, if everyone in your Mount Prospect, IL, household understands fire safety, it will significantly reduce the likelihood of the worst happening. The first step of fire preparation is knowing how to prevent a disaster altogether.

1. Be Careful With Open Flames
Never use any open flame, such as candles, unattended. Put them on sturdy surfaces, away from anything flammable and out of reach of children and pets. Always smoke outdoors. Use sturdy ashtrays that are deep enough to trap the butts and ashes. Never place an open flame in the vicinity of medical oxygen.

2. Safely Heat Your Home
Keep flammable materials (including curtains and bedding) at least three feet from space heaters, furnaces, radiators, woodstoves and fireplaces. Use only space heaters that have an automatic shutoff function in the case of overheating or tipping.

3. Use Caution When Cooking
Never leave anything unattended while it’s cooking on the stove or broiling. Ensure that pot and pan handles are always turned toward the back of the stove so they can’t be knocked off. One easy fire preparation tip is always to keep a pot lid next to the stove when cooking; if flames erupt, you can easily slide the lid over the fire. Then, turn off the burner. Also, keep a kitchen fire extinguisher nearby and make sure everyone knows how to use it.

4. Maintain Smoke Detectors
Make sure that your smoke detectors are in good working condition by testing them a couple of times a year. Once a year, replace the batteries. Dust and vacuum the detectors when you test them and change the batteries. Dust can build up, making them less effective. Every 10 years, replace the smoke alarms themselves.
No matter how careful you are with your fire safety, there are never guarantees. Always have a fire preparation plan in place. If a disaster occurs, fire damage cleanup professionals can return your home to its preloss condition.