Having smoke alarms in your home is a very important fire protection step. However, the importance of smoke alarms is so widely spread that sometimes people forget they should be doing other things to prevent and protect against fires, too! Venture beyond the smoke alarms and make sure you're also taking these other fire protection steps.
Have all electrical work done by an electrician.
You can safely DIY some home projects, such as painting or replacing cabinet doors. But you should never DIY an electrical job. When you're not a professional, it is easy to make a small mistake such as using the wrong gauge wire. These mistakes can lead to electrical fires, which are often really serious and hard to put out. If the job requires electrical work, make sure you hire a licensed electrician.
Never leave the stove unattended.
When you have food on the stove, never leave it unattended. This is especially important with gas stoves since there is an open flame, but it's a good rule to follow with electric stoves, too. You never know what might fall onto the stove or accidentally end up poking into the flame. If you're in the kitchen, you'll at least see if something like this happens and be able to take action to put out the fire.
Keep a fire extinguisher handy.
Always have a charged fire extinguisher in your home. You should keep one in the kitchen, and it's a good idea to also have one anywhere else there's an open flame. For example, if you have a fireplace, you want to keep a fire extinguisher by the fireplace. Check the charge on your fire extinguishers regularly, too. If they ever fall out of charge, most fire stations will top them off for you, sometimes for free and sometimes for a small additional charge.
Review fire safety with everyone in your family.
A big part of fire protection is also making sure that everyone in your home is on board. Go over basic fire safety with your kids on a regular basis. Make sure you all know how to use a fire extinguisher, how to get out of the home if there is a fire, and what your smoke alarm sounds like. If there is an emergency, being able to act quickly is key.
With the fire protection tips above, you and everyone else in your home will be safer.
Contact your fire department for more information about home fire protection.
Share14 April 2022
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