Fire Safety Tips

In 2004, the 410 thousand residential fires in America caused more than 14 thousand injuries and 3 thousand deaths, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). You can prevent fire-related deaths and injuries, and even most residential fires by being knowledgeable about fire safety. Ensure your and your family’s safety by creating an escape plan, teaching children fire safety and fire-proofing your home.

Fire Safety Escape Plan

a fire safety escape plan tells everyone what to do if your home catches on fire. Your family needs to discuss fire safety issues, and design an escape plan for your home. The escape plan needs to inform everyone in your family of the two safest routes out of each room in your house and where to meet once outside.

When discussing fire safety issues with your family, it is also a good idea to talk about each person’s responsibilities in the case of a fire, such as who helps whom out of the house. Be sure to explain to each family member to crawl to a safe exit; don’t stop to save anything, and, if possible, to alert others by yelling “FIRE!” or beating on doors as they crawl by.

Fire Safety and Kids

Fire safety and education begins with children. Tragically, children cause over thousands of residential fires each year, the majority stemming from children playing with matches. You need to teach your children to obey the following fire safety rules: Never play with matches or lighters, always have an adult help you when cooking, never touch gasoline or any other flammable liquids,
Always STOP, DROP, AND ROLL! If you or your clothes catch on fire
Never place anything into an electrical outlet and always get help from an adult if something catches on fire.

Your children are the most important people in your life, so educate them about fire safety and prevention.

Fire Safety and Your Home

Electrical fires are the most common type of residential fires in America. The following fire safety tips lower the probability of residential electrical fires: Don’t overload outlets or piggy-back extension cords, Keep all combustible items, such as hairspray and household cleaners, away from all heaters, Check all electrical tools and appliances for frayed or cracked cords, Purchase electrical appliances that meet the Underwriter’s Laboratory’s (UL) safety requirements and Keep children away from electrical appliances, such as heaters and irons.

Electric stoves, ovens, stereos, heaters, and clothes dryers are responsible for the majority residential electrical fires. Follow all manufacturers’ instructions, and use all appliances carefully and responsibly. Sometimes, no matter the precautionary fire safety steps you take, an electrical fire can still occur. If this happens, knowing the proper fire safety procedure is invaluable in keeping your home safe. Shut off burning appliances by unplugging the cord, Put out small fires with your home fire extinguisher, Do not put water on electrical fires, Get everyone out of the house and Do not try to handle large fires by yourself; call 911, report the fire, and tell them it is an electrical fire.

Educating yourself and your family on fire safety helps to lower your chances of a residential fire and gives you the knowledge of what to do in the case of a fire.

Would you know exactly what to do if you were to find yourself in a burning building? Too many people don’t, which is one of the causes of panics. You’d probably say that it’s a simple thing matter; exit the building, fast.

But there are situations involving fires when exit is no easy feat. Doors and windows can be blocked or locked. Knowing what to do in a fire and how to get out of the building is fundamental to making sure you exit safely. Remember the following safety tips, someday they may help save you or your family’s life.

Alternative Exit Routes- One of the principal errors you can make is not knowing more than just a single way in and out of a building. When you enter a building, take note of more than one exit or entrance. Always know alternate exits to the location. Many times an exit becomes impassable or even locked during a fire. Elevators are usually put out of service automatically during a fire. If you don’t know another route, you may become confused and blunder further into the burning structure. Especially in large buildings like hospitals, hotels, or schools, you should be familiar with as many exits as you can.

Escapes out the Window – If you happen to be trapped in a building and are forced to leave through the window, do so with care. Especially if you are on the second story or above, you will need help. Try to keep the door to the room closed, and pack wet towels, sheets, or clothes under the door gap to keep smoke out. Signal for help through an open window. Wait until the fire department gets there; they have the equipment and training to help you down to safety. A passerby or neighbor may also be able to help you quickly before the professionals arrive.

If your house has bedrooms on higher levels, consider installing fire ladders in your home. These are stowable drop-down ladders which attach to higher level windows. When the time comes, you toss them out of the window and climb down safely.

Keep a low Profile – When going through a burning building to the exit, always stay as low to the floor as possible. Because smoke and heat rises, there will be less smoke and more oxygen nearest the floor. Not only that, but there can be as much as a 1000 degree difference from the floor to the ceiling. Be traveling as quickly as possible while staying calm. Smoke inhalation is particularly dangerous and you can lose consciousness quickly as a result of it. To further help you breathe, cover your mouth and nose with a wet piece of clothing or towel.

Smoke Detectors – Needless to say, but have properly functioning smoke detectors in your home. Test and replace batteries regularly. If you don’t have smoke detectors, it is unlikely you will notice the smoke until it is too late.

Did you know that there are close to 20,000 reported RV fires each year? A large percentage of these fires are transmission related fires on motor homes. Automatic transmission fluid leaking from the transmission can ignite, and quickly spread if it contacts any portion of the exhaust system. Before traveling in your RV inspect the underside for any signs of fluid leaking. Have any potential leaks checked out and repaired immediately.

Over 25 percent of RV fires are caused by shorts in the 12-volt electrical system. Not only do you need a fire extinguisher, you need to inspect it before each trip to make sure it is charged. Look to see if the arrow is pointing in the green area in the sight gauge. If it reads empty or needs charging replace it or have it recharged immediately. If it’s a dry powder type fire extinguisher the arrow pointing in the green doesn’t always guarantee that it will work. Every month you should turn dry powder extinguishers upside down, tap on the bottom of the extinguisher and shake it. It should sound hollow, sort of like a drum. If not, continue tapping on it until it sounds hollow and the powder that settled on the bottom is released.

You need to have an emergency escape plan. The National Fire Protection agency requires that RV’s have emergency escape windows. Make sure everybody knows where the escape window is located and how to use it. It’s a good idea to practice using it so you are familiar with how to get out of the RV in case of an emergency. You should have an escape plan for the front of the RV and the rear of the RV.

Happy Camping!

Mark
Copyright 2006 by Mark J. Polk, owner of RV Education 101

Never leave oil on the stove unattended.

Leaving cooking oil on the range top while you are not in the kitchen area is a leading cause of kitchen fires. Let’s say that you are heating the oil to make those wonderfully crisp french fries that you love. It only takes a few seconds for the oil to overheat, begin boiling out and now you have a fire.

If a small fire develops in a pot or pan, cover it with a lid, turn off the cooking element or burner and let it cool. If you don’t have lid handy, then you can use baking soda also.

Turn in those handles.

If you have pots or pans on the range top, be sure to turn the handles inward, and away from pointing into the open area of the kitchen. Not only can this help prevent little ones from grabbing a hot pot of water and dumping it on them, but it can also prevent someone from accidentally bumping a pot or pan and causing it to spill over.

Keep it clean.

Keeping your oven area and stove top clean are vital aspects of preventing a fire. Grease and other food buildup can eventually cause a fire from the residues that are left over time. Use the self-cleaning feature on your oven if it needs, and a good wipedown on the surface won’t hurt either.

Keep the door closed.

In the previous point I advised to use the self cleaning feature of your stove when the need arises. This can lead to another potential fire problem. If there is a substantial buildup in your stove, clean out the bigger “chunks” of food particles prior to using the self cleaning feature.

This will prevent heating the larger “chunks” to the point where they could catch fire. If there is a fire in the oven, do not attempt to open the door and exit the area. The safest bet is to call your local fire department and have them check it for you.

Have a few safety items in your home.

There are three things that I recommend you have to improve your fire safety in the kitchen and your home in general.

• Get a fire extinguisher. You don’t need a huge one, a 5 or 10 pound extinguisher can be picked up at your local home goods store, such as Wal-mart, Home Depot or other shopping places.
• Have and test your smoke detectors. Just having a smoke detector doesn’t do any good if you don’t test it regularly. Smoke detectors should be tested at least monthly to ensure proper operation. Be sure to change the batteries also. A good reminder of this is when you spring forward or fall back with your time change, you should also change the batteries.
• Have a carbon monoxide detector. If you home uses any gas appliances, such as a furnace, water heater or cooking appliances, you should have a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon Monoxide is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas that is produced when using fossil fuels such as propane or natural gas. This could prevent you from being a statistic to a silent killer.

Nobody wants to think about having a fire in your own home but the fact of the matter is, the more prepared you are in the event of a fire, the safer your family will be. Fire safety starts with you and there are a number of things that you can do to be prepared.

The first thing you should do is to equip your home with fire safety equipment. For optimum smoke detection, smoke detectors should be installed in all the bedrooms, hallways, the basement, kitchen and the attic. They should be tested twice a year to change old batteries and make sure that the still work. Fire extinguishers need to be in a handy place, such as under the kitchen sink or right inside the garage door. It is recommended that you put fire extinguishers on every floor of your home and in the garage.

You can have an alarm system installed in your home that will be connected to the police, ambulance service and fire department. They typically have a panic button that you can push in the event of a fire or emergency. A lot of new construction is including sprinkler systems that will come on automatically if there is a fire.

Work with your family on different types of escape routes. It is best to have at least three possible exit plans incase any of the exits are blocked by a fire. Keep a rope ladder on upper floors of your house incase you can’t get downstairs to exit. Teach your family the importance of crawling when there is smoke and feeling a door for heat before opening it.

Whether you have a two year old, teenager or you are in your 60s, you should visit your local fire department. They will give you fire safety tips and suggestions that you may never have thought about. It is also important for young children to see what a firefighter looks like when they are in their gear with their oxygen masks on. They can look scary to little children which might cause them to run away from a firefighter.

You can also find fire safety tips and suggestions on the web. There is specific information that you need to know whether you live in an apartment, high rise building, dorm or single family household. The more you can learn and do to prepare for a possible fire, the more you can help insure your safety and the safety of those that you love.

Every Halloween, millions of children across the United States go trick or treating. It’s supposed to be a night of fun but unfortunately many children are injured or even killed because they don’t follow simple safety tips.

Every year in the United States, around 100 people die as the result of their clothes catching on fire.

Burn injuries are one of the leading Halloween injuries but also the easiest to prevent. Here are some tips to keep you and your child safe this Halloween.

Decorations/Indoor events:

-Place all lit pumpkins on a flat stable surface. If possible use a flashlight instead of a candle.

-If the pumpkin will be indoors, keep it away from any flammable material and never leave it unattended. -Sweep your porch of debris. If an accident occurs, dry leaves and brush can quickly spread a fire.

- Use flashlights instead of candles/flames for any lighting or decoration. With a little creativity you can make your decorations more festive and safer for visitors.

-Keep in mind that paper, dried flowers, and cornstalks are highly flammable and keep them away from any heat source.

-Make sure none of your indoor decorations are blocking exits.

-Check to make sure your smoke alarm is functioning properly. Every year 50% of fire related deaths in the United States involve homes without a working smoke alarm.

-This is also a good time to make sure you and your children have a developed an escape plan in case of a fire related emergency.

-If your children will be at another house or a school sponsored event, make sure both of you know and can easily locate exits.

Costumes:

-Try to purchase costumes and accessories labeled flame resistant or retardant.

-Make sure your child’s costume doesn’t have extended or trailing features. In addition to being a tripping hazard they can ignite easily.

-Look over every part of the costume and make sure that it doesn’t include anything highly flammable. It’s easy for a child to become distracted and a costume can catch fire in a matter of seconds.

-Tell your children to stay away from any open flames and other heat sources. Make sure they know the “stop, drop and roll” procedure. If you need a quick refresher:
Stop and drop to the ground covering your face with your hands and roll on the ground to extinguish any flames.

These tips were brought to you in part by The Burn Recovery Center who reminds you to have a happy and safe Halloween.

-William Gallahue

Outdoor summer living, almost by default, includes gathering around a fire. Especially at the cabin or cottage.

Sadly, every year, largely through carelessness and lack of simple preparation, campfires become symbols of tragedy for some instead of good times.

The glow and warmth of an outdoor fire seems to inspire sharing stories and song. It’s a delightful way to spend time with family and friends. And as we head into early autumn, a fire wards off the chill of the evening.

Basic Safety for Campfires — A Matter of Common Sense

It is sometimes said that common sense isn’t as common as it should be! Unfortunately, with fire that is often the case.

“It’s all too easy to be so focused on the fun aspects of the campfire that the all-important safety aspects go by the wayside.” says Kim Thornton, from Rustic-Lodge-Lifestyle.com. “The last thing you want is to find yourself facing the destructive force of fire.”

Here is a list of things to keep in mind for safe and accident-free campfires:

1. Keep adequate water close at hand.

You need water to extinguish your fire at the end of the evening, but you should also have water or sand handy to put out any errant fires caused by burning embers. A hose is best, but full buckets will do. Keep a spade or shovel handy as well.

2. Determine in advance who will put the fire out.

Make it that person’s responsibility to remain at the fire until it is completely out.

Its easy, late at night, for everyone to leave as the air gets chilly without a thought to ensuring the fire is out. Perhaps alcohol was consumed which could lead to fuzzy thinking. If nobody has the specific responsibility to thoroughly extinguish the fire, it might not get done. The risk then, is that a breeze could easily fan what appears on the surface to be a dead fire.

Many devastating fires have started from a campfire that was not completely extinguished. Douse and stir many times, and check for any heat radiating from the fire pit.

3. Keep children away from the fire.

Children love to run and play… it’s what they do! It’s all too easy for a child to trip and fall. If that happens to be into a fire, the damage is instant, severe, and tragic.

Draw a line, make a ring of stones, or use some other marking method to create a buffer zone 3 feet (1 meter) out from the fire and instruct children that they are not allowed to cross it unless they are with an adult. And never leave children alone at a fire.

4. Check for fire bans in your area.

During extremely dry periods, many counties and regions implement temporary fire bans for safety.

5. Check surrounding area for combustible materials.

Is the ground cover around your fire pit combustible such as dry grass? Clear a minimum 10 foot circle around the fire pit.

6. Are there trees nearby?

Are there trees overhead or nearby that could catch a burning ember? If so, find another spot for your fire.

7. What’s the weather forecast?

Never start a fire when it’s windy. Burning embers can be carried a great distance and start a fire beyond your reach to put it out.

Is there wind in the forecast that could spread any remaining embers from your fire after everyone has retired for the night? If so, rethink having a campfire.

8. Never use gasoline or other flammable liquids not intended for fire starting.

Gasoline and its fumes are highly flammable! Many people have suffered severe burns from an explosion when gas was used to light a fire. Some newspaper and dry kindling are best.

9. Don’t let the fire get too large.

Keep your fire to a manageable size and within the confines of your fire pit.

10. Have a flashlight by the fire.

After dark, when the fire is out, you’ll appreciate having the light to put out the fire and to find your way to bed.

An out-of-control fire is an incredibly powerful and destructive force! It can devastate your home or cabin, burn down forests, and destroy natural habitat and wildlife.

By following these simple, but very important safety considerations you can ensure your campfires leave only good memories behind!

(c) 2008 Thornton Holdings Ltd.