Fire Safety Basics to Help Protect Your Family | SERVPRO® of Western Essex County

1/20/2021 (Permalink)

If your family has experienced a fire and needs help restoring your home, we can help!

Every year in the United States, more than 350,000 house fires happen, adding up to more than $5.5 billion in property damage. Beyond the financial loss, these fires also lead to nearly 3,000 deaths and another 10,000 injuries.

The best defense for your family against a fire is to prepare in advance. That’s why it’s important for every person to know how to prevent fires and how to respond if one occurs.

Start teaching your kids basic fire safety guidelines when they’re young. Let’s also take a look at three other fire safety practices you can practice as a family:

Watch Out for Fire Hazards

Go through your home. You might be surprised how many fire hazards you spot! Take some time and go through every room and your outdoor space to uncover any hazards.

• Ensure your appliances are in good shape.
• Check that electrical cords are in workable condition.
• Do not overload outlets and/or extension cords.
• Check to make sure you are using the correct wattage of lightbulbs.
• Double-check that electrical wiring is not covered up by rugs or carpet.

Creating Your Fire Plan

In the event of a fire, every person in the family needs to know what to do—including how to get out of the house and where to go once they’re out.

But don’t just create a plan and not have practice drills. After all, as the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” Regular practice of what to do makes you more likely to remember the steps if an actual fire occurs.

Practice Kitchen Fire Safety

Cooking is the biggest single cause of home fires. That’s why it’s important to be especially careful in the kitchen.

Anyone who’s cooking needs to familiarize themselves with basic cooking safety:

• Never cook when tired or unable to pay attention.
• Do not leave kids and teens alone when they cook.
• Always keep a lid at hand when cooking on the stove in case of a grease fire. If a small grease fire occurs, use the lid to smother the fire.
• If a fire occurs in the oven, turn it off and keep the door closed.
• Leave the room and close the door if a kitchen fire occurs and begins to spread.