What to Do to Prepare for a Fire on in Your Residence? - Fire Damage Repair
As far as catastrophic emergencies go there aren't many situations as staggering as a fire that destroys your home and personal possessions. A fire in your property is a harrowing and an intensely draining event, whether it ruins everything or not. But there are specific measures you can take to decrease the odds of a fire from happening in your house. The fire damage restoration team from Paul Davis understands the severe situation of house fires and that's why it's fundamental to know how to prepare your residence and what to do when a fire happens.The Importance of Fire Escape Strategies
Safety should be the number one priority when prepping for a house fire, and smoke alarms and fire extinguishers should be located throughout the property. Smoke alarms are critical since a fire could come out of the blue and you need to take action as fast as possible. Something else to consider with smoke alarms is purchasing ones that can detect smoke generated by electrical fires. Finally, any kids residing in the house need to be instructed on how a smoke alarm sounds when it's triggered and what to do when it happens. Implement fire escape routes and ensure everybody knows about them. There should be two exits out of every room in the property. You'll also want to have a designated meeting location outside of the property so that you're sure everybody makes it out securely. Something else you should do is protect your valuable items like birth certificates, passports and photographs. You could create digital replicas and place them into cloud storage for safe keeping, and you can buy a strong box to keep the real copies safe too. Finally, make a record of all your personal belongings for insurance purposes in case they're engulfed by the flames.Things to Keep in Mind to Decrease House Fire Dangers
Although some fires are uncontrollable, here are some steps you should take to prevent a house fire:- Portable Heaters: Never should you allow a portable space heater alone, and keep flammable objects three feet away from the heater. It's also critical for your portable heater to have the proper features for safety. For instance, the heater turns off when it falls over.
- Appliances and Electrical: Test your light switches to see if they need to be changed out. If they're hot to the touch, that's a clue that they're damaged. Another thing you need to do is examine your appliances for frayed cords and defective plugs.
- Children: Keep any lighters or matches in a location that is out of sight and out of reach from children to prevent their curiosity from lighting a fire. Explain to your children that fire is not something to play with too.
- Cooking: It's crucial to be aware in the kitchen and to not leave food being cooked unattended. Always have somebody there to watch everything going on.
- Smoking: Cigars and cigarettes are serious perils for fire, and taking your smoking outside is the perfect method to prevent a house fire. If you smoke inside, check that you have deep ashtrays and that you never smoke in bed or while you're drowsy. Also, not under any circumstance should you smoke inside when someone in the house is on oxygen because this is highly explosive.
- Fireplaces: It's essential to routinely clean and inspect your fireplace and chimney for creosote and other damage. Get a screen for your fireplace that is durable and large enough to catch sparks and stop rolling logs.