Fires are one of the most devastating disasters that can cause harm to your home. With high temperatures, flames, and smoke, fires can cause an extensive amount of damage to your property and personal belongings. Not only that, but they can also pose a serious threat to the well-being of anyone in the vicinity.
If a fire does occur in your home, then your priority is to evacuate the place and make sure everyone is safe and accounted for. Call your local fire department to have them extinguish the fire. From there, you will need to turn your attention to fire damage cleanup and restoration efforts.
However, house fires are not something you have to experience. When you educate yourself and take the necessary precautions, you can prevent fires in your home. That way, you will not have to deal with the dangers, damage, and restoration costs of a fire.
Continue reading to learn more about how to prevent fires in your home.
Most fires thrive on oxygen, so smothering a fire with a wet rag or pot cover works well
Be Smart and Safe When Cooking
The combination of open flames/high heat and oils can be a disaster waiting to happen, but that is only if cooking is done in a careless manner.
When cooking, never leave your cooking food unattended. This goes for whether you are cooking using the stovetop, the oven, or another appliance. This ensures that someone is available to immediately tend to the cooking should something go wrong. Better yet, this ensures that someone is available to respond to the cooking before something can go wrong.
Turn pan and pot handles inward toward the middle of the stove so that they do not stick out. This decreases the risk of bumping into the handles and creating a mess or even a larger issue. Furthermore, keep children and pets out of the kitchen when cooking. Children, for example, may not realize the kitchen is a place to exercise caution and could bump into a pan handle that is sticking out from the stovetop.
While it may not seem like it, the outfit you wear when cooking matters. Wear more fitting attire that is not too loose or baggy, so that your clothes cannot easily catch on fire. Additionally, keep dish towels, potholders, oven mitts, and other flammable items away from the stovetop, and clean up spills as you go.
Be Mindful of Candle Usage
Candles can be a great addition to your home for several reasons. They can be a light source, help create a calm and relaxing environment, and fill your home with a pleasant aroma. No matter how you like to use candles, it is crucial that you are mindful of how and when you use them.
Lit candles should never be left unattended, so make sure to extinguish the flame if you are leaving the area where the candle is being used. Keep candles on a stable surface and away from flammable items like curtains.
Inspect Appliances Before Using Them
People use appliances on a daily basis, many of them make everyday living easier. However, appliances undergo standard wear and tear. So appliances will often reach the point where they cannot be used anymore, becoming ineffective or dangerous to use.
Knowing this, you should take the time to inspect your appliances before using them. Pay close attention to cords, wiring, and plugs, and keep an eye out for any sort of damage.
Make sure your home is equipped with smoke detectors
Install and Test Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms can make a key difference in stopping a fire from breaking out in your home. When a smoke alarm goes off, you will be alerted of smoke — and perhaps even a fire. This hopefully gives you ample time to tend to the problem before it worsens and breaks out into a house fire.
Smoke alarms should be on every floor of your home in each room. Test them regularly to ensure they are working properly and change the batteries monthly. Additionally, switch out the alarms to new ones every 8 to 10 years.
Professional Fire Damage Restoration Services
In the event that a fire breaks out in your home, then you will need fire damage cleanup help once the flames have been extinguished. The fire damage will only worsen with time, and the effects from smoke, soot, and other corrosive byproducts eventually become permanent. So, it is in your best interest to address the fire damage immediately.
ServiceMaster S&R Systems provides complete fire damage restoration and cleanup services to residential and commercial properties in Joliet, IL. Our professional technicians will quickly respond to your call for help, arriving at your property to contain the damage and start restoration work promptly. We will stabilize your building, make repairs to damaged structural materials, clean smoke and soot damage, and eliminate smoke odors.
With our fire damage cleanup help, your home will be restored to a safe, comfortable living space.
