It is easy to think that a home fire would never happen to your family, but there are more potential risks around your home than you may think – especially during the winter months. Fires grow so quickly that it can take just seconds for a spark to fill a room with toxic smoke. Within three seconds of ignition, a dry scotch pine is completely ablaze; within 40 seconds, a flash over occurs that engulfs the entire room and releases dense, deadly, toxic smoke.
The good news: it can take less than a minute to help prevent a tragedy. What can you do to help keep your family safe this season? Prepare, plan and prevent.
1. Prepare
Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home and near sleeping areas. Test your alarms monthly and ensure you can hear them from behind closed doors. Involve children in the testing so they know what the alarm sounds like and what they should do if it goes off. Change the batteries at least once a year. An easy way to remember to change the batteries is to do it every time you change the clock for daylight savings time. Monitoring smoke detectors can protect your home even when you’re away.
2. Plan
Have a family fire escape plan in place. Make a quick drawing of the floor plan of your home and identify at least two exits from every room. Go over the plan with your kids and identify a meeting place outside of the house such as the mailbox or neighbor’s driveway. Hold a fire drill and practice getting out of the house with your children at least twice a year. Families with infants or very young children should plan how to get those children out. Older children can be taught to stay low in case of fire, feel doors before opening them and never return to a house once they have gotten out.
3. Prevent
There are simple ways to help prevent some of the most common causes of home fires during the holidays. Many of these steps only take a minute and can prevent what could be a lifetime of regret.
· Home Heating Safety It’s no surprise that home heating fires peak during the winter months. Have your chimney inspected and cleaned yearly to reduce the risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning due to creosote build-up or obstructions in the chimney. Use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks from getting out of the fireplace. Never burn wrapping paper in the fireplace as it can cause an intense burst of heat that can lead to a fire. Space heaters are responsible for the majority of fatal home heating fires. The most common cause of a space heater fire is leaving it too close to something that can burn such as a blanket or curtains. Space heaters should be positioned at least three feet away from objects and placed on a firm surface to prevent tipping. Never leave a space heater unattended and always shut them off before going to bed. Objects such as coats and mittens should never be placed on a space heater to dry.
· Candle Safety Candles account for more than 12,000 fires annually. Don’t leave a candle burning in an unoccupied room. Curious children are fascinated by fire, so store matches and lighters out of your children’s reach. Teach your kids that if they see an unattended, lit candle they should always tell you. Your kids can take a part keeping your home safe for the holidays.
· Cooking Safety More home fires start in the kitchen than in any other room in the house. Cooks need to stay in the kitchen. Never leave a cooking pot or oven unattended, even for just a minute. Designate the area around the stove as “kid free” and be sure to keep dishtowels and other things that can burn well away from the stove. Turn the handles of pots inward.