A house fire can cause expensive damage to your home and threaten the lives of your family members. That’s why it’s important to prevent fires in your home. Here are 7 fire safety tips you should always follow.
1. Test Your Smoke Alarms
If your smoke alarm doesn’t work, you may not be alerted to a house fire until it’s too late. To prevent destructive fires in your home, regularly test your smoke detectors. Put it on your calendar to change the batteries at least once a year, even if they aren’t low.
2. Keep the Stove and Oven Clean to Prevent Fires in Your Home
Make sure that you don’t have any flammable objects near your oven or stovetop. Keep the burners clean so that grease and food crumbs don’t build up. Keep dishrags and paper products away from the heat source.
3. Regularly Check Your Heating Sources
No matter what your heating source is, have it inspected annually to make sure it’s safe. Place space heaters away from any flammable items. Heat vents and baseboard heaters should not be blocked by furniture or drapes.
4. Be Cautious When Using Candles to Prevent Fires in Your Home
If you burn candles in your home, never leave them unattended. Keep them away from any flammable materials. Place candles in a secure area where they won’t easily be knocked over. Extinguish them at night and when you leave the room.
5. Inspect Your Dryer Every Year
Dryers are another common source of household fires. In order to prevent fires in your home, it’s important to inspect your dryer regularly and always clean out the lint tray before use. Have the dryer vent cleaned out periodically, too. Don’t leave your dryer running when you aren’t home or when you are asleep.
6. Be Cautious With Fireplaces
If you have a fireplace in your home, use it responsibly. Your fireplace should have some kind of screen in front of it to contain any sparks. It’s also important to continuously tend to your fire. Give the ashes plenty of time to cool off before you dispose of them. Fireplace ashes should always be placed in a metal container separate from your household trash.
7. Prevent Fires in Your Home With Fire Extinguishers
Properly using a fire extinguisher is the easiest way to keep small fires in your home from spreading. You should always have these devices in high-risk areas of your home to use in case of an emergency. If it takes longer than 5 seconds to extinguish a small fire, evacuate the home and call 911.
In order to prevent fires in your home, be cautious about open flames, heating sources, and certain appliances. It’s also important to have a fire safety plan in place so the whole family is prepared to react appropriately if a fire does start.
Blackbird Home Inspections provides inspection services to homes in Central Arkansas. Contact us to schedule an inspection.