According to the U.S. Fire Administration, almost 381,000 American homes experienced a fire in 2015. Residential property fires accounted for more than 74 percent of all fire deaths and approximately 75 percent of all injuries. Although preventing a fire is always the best option, it is also critical for you and your family to know how to respond to one.
So how prepared are you to deal with a fire-related emergency in your home? If your current fire safety planning consists of diligently changing the batteries on those smoke detectors purchased years ago and ensuring that your homeowner’s insurance policy up to date, you may want to keep reading.
Best-Selling Fire Safety Products
Over half of the residential fires studied by the U.S. Fire Administration in 2015 were cooking-related. Food, towels or potholders caught on fire, grease ignited when overheated or splashed onto an open flame, overloaded electrical circuits shorted or heat sources were accidentally turned on.
Candles are another significant cause of residential fires, resulting in an average of 25 reported fires daily. Almost 60 percent of these fires happened because combustible materials came too close to the flame or were left in the candle’s proximity.
Fires caused by heating equipment spike during the winter months. Fireplaces, portable space heaters, furnaces and wood stoves are the primary types of equipment involved in residential fires.
Although every state has passed laws requiring all cigarettes to be less likely to ignite bedding, upholstered furniture and mattresses, smoking is still a significant cause of residential fires. Cigars, pipes, cigarettes and other smoking materials were responsible for about 5 percent of all reported residential fires in 2014, according to the National Fire Protection Association, resulting in 21 percent of the total fire deaths and 10 percent of the injuries.
Electrical fires can involve outdated wiring, overloaded circuits, malfunctioning appliances, excessive use of extension cords or incorrect bulbs that exceed the lighting fixture’s maximum wattage. Although electrical fires can occur in any home, they are more common in older homes that feature cloth-wrapped wiring and/or ungrounded outlets.
Washers and dryers account for a surprising number of residential fires; according to the USFA, almost 3,000 fires are reported annually that can be traced to a laundry appliance. Most of these fires are related to the dryer and are caused by the homeowner’s failure to clean the lint filter and/or the vent ductwork. Washer fires are usually caused by an electrical or mechanical problem. However, clothing or rags soaked in flammable materials can spark a fire in either appliance.
Unfortunately, despite widespread efforts by schools and public agencies, many residential fires are started by curious children who decide to experiment with lighters or matches. Most of these residential fires are started by youngsters who are in preschool or kindergarten.
Fire Prevention Tips
Awareness and caution can prevent many fires. However, it may also be necessary to change some of your habits to make your home safer. For example, most smoking-related fires begin in a bedroom, so you might want to consider limiting smoking to a room with fewer flammable furnishings, but you should also be sure to store lighters and matches where children cannot reach them. To prevent fires started by candles, extinguish the flames before going to bed or leaving the house. Do not place candles in children’s bedrooms or playrooms, near curtains, on beds, near flammable liquids or on upholstered furniture.
Be especially conscious of safety when cooking. Most kitchen fires start when food is left unattended on the cook-top or range for a lengthy period. When frying foods, use care to avoid splatters, clean up spills immediately and remain in the kitchen for the entire time. Keep paper, fabric and other combustible materials well away from heat sources. If your range is equipped with a ventilation hood, clean the hood and filters thoroughly and frequently.
Before leaving the house or going to bed, check to ensure that possible hazards are eliminated. Make sure that the coffee maker and range are turned off, check ashtrays for smoldering butts, turn off the holiday lights, make sure that portable heaters are off and ensure that there are no flammable materials near heat sources.
Maintain at least a 36-inch safety zone around all heat sources, including furnaces, fireplaces, water heaters, candles and space heaters. Make sure that drapes, furniture, pillows and other flammable objects do not intrude into this space. Keep children out of the safety zone as well.
Do not overload your electrical system. If you must use an extension cord, keep in mind that this is a temporary, potentially unsafe solution. Adapter plugs that allow you to insert a three-pronged plug into an outlet designed for two-pronged plugs should be used sparingly, and the outdated outlets should be replaced by a qualified electrician. Frequently tripped breakers, overburdened power strips and flickering lights can also indicate that you need the services of a licensed electrician to make your home safer.
Smoke Detectors
Functional smoke alarms save lives. A recent study conducted by the U.S. National Fire Protection Association found that the lack of a working smoke detector more than doubled the risk of a fire-related death when compared to a home or apartment with a functional smoke alarm. Curiously, the study found that the death rate in residential fires in which smoke alarms were present but not operational was almost twice the death rate that occurred in homes that had no smoke alarms at all.
Modern smoke alarms are currently offered in three basic types. Ionization detectors react when smoke interrupts the constant current between two internal electrodes. Photoelectric detectors react when smoke crosses the path of an internal light beam. Combination detectors offer the features of both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms. Typically, combination types are recommended for residential use as they provide the best response to both slow, smoldering fires and large, fast-moving fires.
In most American homes, detectors are either hard-wired into the electrical system or powered by batteries. Batteries should be checked monthly and replaced if they fail the test. Alkaline batteries should be replaced annually or when the unit begins chirping. Many security companies offer homeowners the option to have smoke detection units included in the security package and monitored from the operations center.
At minimum, a smoke detector should be installed inside every bedroom, in the hall leading to the bedrooms and on every level of the home. As a general rule, units should be installed on the ceiling with a minimum of four inches between the detector and any walls or doors. If detectors must be installed on walls, allow at least 12 inches between the top of the detector and the ceiling.
Interconnecting all detectors provides increased protection; when one detector is triggered, all alarms will sound. Compatible detectors can be connected wirelessly or hard-wired. Typically, this requires purchasing units produced by the same manufacturer.
All smoke detection units should be replaced 10 years after the manufacturing date that can be found on the unit’s side or back. Sensors can fail, battery clips can become corroded, accumulated dust can interfere with functionality or the circuitry may deteriorate. As a result, the unit may become so sensitive that it sounds numerous false alarms or so insensitive that it fails to detect a problem. In addition, the underlying technology continues to improve, increasing the accuracy and reliability of detectors.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Carbon monoxide is a gas that results from the incomplete combustion of materials that contain carbon. Because it is odorless, tasteless and colorless, carbon monoxide is virtually impossible to detect without the proper technology. Exposure to carbon monoxide can cause headaches, vomiting, confusion, dizziness, chest pain and weakness, and at higher levels, seizures, loss of consciousness and death can occur.
Carbon monoxide in a home can result from a variety of sources, including a malfunctioning furnace, blocked chimney, open flame, water heater, space heater or even a car idling in an attached garage. Typically, occupants will be unaware that carbon monoxide is building up in the home unless a carbon monoxide detector sounds an alarm.
A carbon monoxide detector is not the same as a smoke detector. Although dual units are available, a basic smoke detector cannot detect carbon monoxide, and a carbon monoxide alarm cannot detect smoke. Therefore, homes that are equipped with stand-alone smoke alarms should also be equipped with stand-alone carbon monoxide detectors unless the smoke alarms are replaced with dual units.
Like a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector can be powered by batteries or electricity. Some models can be connected to a central monitoring station.
Early carbon monoxide alarms rarely lasted more than two years before they had to be replaced. Improvements in technology have resulted in longer-lasting models, and some units are designed to last as long as 10 years. However, depending on the model, the unit may need to be replaced in as little as five years.
Fire Escape Ladders
A window can be a life-saving escape route in the event of a fire, but safely escaping from a room on an upper floor will generally require the use of a ladder. Portable fire escape ladders can be the ideal tool for allowing occupants to vacate the home quickly and safely.
Portable escape ladders are typically made of hard plastic or aluminum with rigid bars for rungs. The ladders fold up for storage behind the drapes, in a closet or in a drawer. When needed, the upper part of the ladder is placed on the windowsill and the rungs are allowed to fall along the exterior wall of the house. Every room on an upper floor should be equipped with its own ladder.
Portable escape ladders are available in a variety of lengths, but the standard lengths are 15 feet for rooms located on the second story and 25 feet for rooms located on the third story. However, shorter and longer lengths are widely available, and some companies offer custom lengths. Most standard ladders are designed with a 10-inch depth; if the width of the sill and the exterior wall total more than 10 inches, the ladder will not fit, so it is essential to take accurate measurements before purchasing. Some manufacturers offer adjustable models, but it may be necessary to order a custom ladder if the adjustable models are inadequate.
The best fire escape ladders are capable of supporting 1,000 pounds of weight, have standoffs to hold the ladder away from the exterior wall, are easy to use, feature only heat-resistant components and are reusable. Some models have slip-resistant rungs, which may be desirable for people with mobility issues or young children.
After purchasing escape ladders, all family members should practice opening the designated window and attaching the ladder. It would also be wise to have each family member practice climbing down the ladder; for safety, practice climbing can be held from a window on the first floor.
Fire Extinguishers
Access to a fire extinguisher can often make the difference between a small flame that is easily extinguished and one that causes extensive damage. There should be at least one fire extinguisher on every level, and they should be located near the rooms where a fire would be the most likely to start. In most homes, the kitchen, garage, laundry room, basement and living room are common locations for fires to erupt.
Fire extinguishers are classified according to the type of fire that they are designed to handle. Class A types are for fires involving paper, wood or other ordinary combustibles. Class B types are for use on grease, oil, gasoline or other flammable liquids. Class C types are intended for use on electrical fires. Multipurpose extinguishers make it easier to choose the right type for your home. Class ABC extinguishers, for example, can be used on virtually any type of fire that is likely to occur in a residential setting.
Extinguishers come in a variety of sizes. As a rule, it is better to place multiple small extinguishers than to choose a single large extinguisher. This can be especially important if a family member is frail or mobility impaired; a heavy, bulky unit could be too difficult for him or her to use effectively.
Although operating instructions can vary, most extinguishers for residential use are simple to operate. Basically, you just pull the pin, aim the nozzle at the fire’s base, squeeze the fire extinguisher’s handle and sweep the nozzle of the extinguisher from side to side while continuing to aim the nozzle at the fire’s base until the fire is out.
Every family member should know where the extinguishers are located. Visibility can help achieve familiarity, so many homeowners choose to mount their extinguishers on the wall. There are also attractive storage cabinets available.
Smoke Hoods
Statistics show that up to 85 percent of fire fatalities result from smoke inhalation or toxic gases rather than heat or fire. Fire escape masks and smoke hoods can give people the time that they need to evacuate safely. However, it should be noted that most escape hoods and masks do not contain an oxygen supply; self-rescue respirators that have an oxygen supply are available, but they tend to be more expensive.
Escape hoods and masks are not the same as the paper masks that can be purchased at a local hardware store or pharmacy. Even the best paper respirators are not capable of filtering out formaldehyde, acrolein, carbon monoxide and other hazardous gases. They are primarily filters for particulate matter and are relatively inexpensive, so they have become quite popular for use by people with respiratory issues who live in areas with high concentrations of allergens, smog or wildfire smoke.
For escape hoods and masks to work properly, they must be donned correctly. Every manufacturer includes instructions on how to don the product and ensure that it is sealed correctly. However, many of these products are designed for a single use and must be disposed of once the canister seals are removed. This can make practicing with escape hoods and masks impractical. Some manufacturers offer economical practice units that can be used to ensure that every member of your family knows how to don the equipment quickly and correctly.
Fire Safety for Kids
No parent truly expects a fire to break out and endanger their children, but every parent should consider the possibility. Keeping kids safe from fire involves having a plan, coaching children on how to respond, taking sensible steps to prevent a fire and setting a good example for youngsters.
An escape plan is critical, so every child should be taught what a smoke alarm sounds like and what to do when one is triggered. Teach children to get low, crawl to one of the two exits in the room, get out of the house, report to a predetermined meeting point and stay out of the house until you tell them that it is safe to return. Practice the escape plan every few months. Hold at least one practice station at night so that children experience what it is like to be awakened from a sound sleep by a smoke alarm.
Make sure that children know where escape gear is located and how to use it properly. Allow them to practice deploying escape ladders, donning escape hoods or using a fire blanket to help protect their bodies from flames. If there are bars on the doors or windows, install at least one quick-release device per room, and make sure that every child knows which portal is equipped with the device and how to operate it.
Set a good example for children. Do not play with matches or lighters when children are present. Do not leave lit candles unattended. Never store gasoline or other highly flammable liquids in the home. Demonstrate a respect for the potential dangers of fire by testing smoke detectors regularly, exercising caution while cooking and keeping flammable materials away from heat sources. Obey burn bans and ordinances related to fireworks. Do not disparage firefighters; children need to trust these professionals.
Fire Blankets
A fire blanket can be a valuable tool for two reasons. First, it can be used to smother a small fire. Second, it can be wrapped around your body to provide a temporary shield against flames while exiting a fire.
In many cases, a fire blanket can be used more effectively than a fire extinguisher when a small fire erupts. These blankets are made from fiberglass, wool or other fire-resistant materials and may be chemically treated to provide greater resistance to fire. They work by depriving the fire of the oxygen it needs to continue burning. Without oxygen, the fire will burn itself out, but the blanket should be left in place until the surface beneath it has cooled completely to eliminate the risk that the fire could reignite.
When used as a wrap, a fire blanket can insulate clothing and skin from the flames. The blankets protect against heat and reduce the potential for serious burns during the evacuation process. A fire blanket should only be used as a shield while exiting the building and never used as protection to enter a building that is on fire.
Fire blankets are available in a variety of sizes, colors and materials. Some are small enough to swaddle an infant, others can be used as a regular blanket and some are designed primarily for smothering kitchen fires. Disposable blankets are available as well as reusable types. Some blankets are virtually identical in appearance to standard blankets, but others are yellow, red or silver for increased visibility.
Although fire-resistant blankets are excellent additions to a home’s safety plan, it can be difficult to find a quality blanket in a local store. However, effective, fire-resistant, safe blankets are readily available online.
Fire Sprinkler Systems
Fire sprinklers help reduce property damage and save lives. In virtually every municipality in the country, sprinkler systems are legally required to be installed in most public, industrial and commercial buildings. However, fire sprinkler systems for single-family residences are code-mandated in only a few locations. Although an increasing number of locations are requiring sprinkler systems for new homes, these systems are still an optional upgrade in many areas.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, when fires happened in homes with fire sprinkler systems, fatalities were 81 percent lower than in homes that did not have sprinkler systems. The average injury rate to firefighters was also reduced by almost 80 percent. Furthermore, sprinklers kept the fire contained within the room in which it started in 97 percent of the instances.
Sprinkler systems react to heat rather than smoke. Therefore, a sprinkler head could potentially be activated and the fire extinguished long before the smoke reaches a detector. In addition, the sprinkler system will function automatically, protecting the home even if your family is sleeping or no one is at home. Although some systems can be connected to a monitoring center or notify the fire department, such connections typically offer little additional protection.
Homes that were built without sprinkler systems can be retrofitted to add them. However, many homeowners are reluctant to add sprinkler systems because of misconceptions. They believe that all sprinklers will activate if one does, but modern systems are designed to activate only the sprinkler head that has been triggered by the fire’s heat. Nor is it common for a sprinkler head to activate without cause; misfires are extremely rare. The third major myth is that sprinkler systems are not worth the cost. However, the average cost of water damage resulting from a residential fire that has been suppressed by a sprinkler system is $2,200; the average water damage incurred when a fire department suppresses the fire is approximately $45,000. Furthermore, many insurance companies offer discounts of as much as 15 percent if the home has a sprinkler system.
Some Final Thoughts
The dangers that are posed by a residential fire should always be respected, but you do not need to fear them. It is the confidence of knowing what needs to be done and when to do it that makes these disasters preventable and very survivable.
By investing in a few of the devices mentioned throughout this article such as smoke alarms, and fire extinguishers and following the recommended tips, you will have all the tools needed to make your home safer than the vast majority of households. Read More https://homesafetydot.com/fire-safety/
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