2020 has seen more than its fair share of natural disasters—floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and several unprecedented wildfires. While all of these occurrences could spell disaster for your home and precious memories, we wanted to take this time to get a jump on Fire Prevention Week, which occurs in the second week of October.
[UPDATE: Expert advice on ways to get you back on your feet by alleviating the stress that comes after a house fire. This article provides a list of actionable steps for you and your insurance company to mend the damage together. “Was Your Home Damaged by Fire? Here’s What to Do Next,” reported by Karon Warren for Reviewed.com.
Fire prevention is essential when it comes to keeping your home, valuables, and family safe. And even if you live in an area not affected by wildfires, you’ll still want to prepare. But before we dive into the prevention tips, let’s take a look at the facts first.
Safety.com has created the ultimate list of fire prevention tips, thanks to safety experts from the National Fire Protection Association, the Institue for Childhood Preparedness, and more.
Fire prevention statistics
According to the U.S. Fire Administration:
- The U.S. suffered a reported 11.6 billion dollar loss from fires and fire damage. (This doesn’t even cover the emotional loss of irreplaceable or sentimental items)[Tweet “30% of fires occur in residential areas. #FirePreventionWeek”]
- The areas where most fires occurred were outside (41%) and residential (30%), whereas nonresidential, vehicle, and other areas made up less than half when combined.
- The leading cause of residential fires:
- 51% Cooking
- 8% Heating
- 4% Electrical malfunction
- 4% Unintentional, careless
Quick tips on preventing residential fires
- Install smoke detectors throughout your home—especially in the areas in which you sleep. If you already have smoke detectors installed, schedule a test every month to ensure they are working properly.
- Since electrical malfunctions make up 6.8% of residential fires, it’s a good idea to have your electrical system inspected by a qualified expert electrician.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in your home and make sure it is easily accessible.
- Know how to put out a grease fire. This article from Kitchen offers an excellent step-by-step breakdown of what to do.
- Map out an evacuation plan with your family.
- Protect your valuables in a fire-safe container or lockbox. When it comes to photos, we also recommend you scan and digitize the originals. This will ensure the images will never truly be gone.
- Clear away clutter. Should a fire break out, stacks of old paper and boxes of forgotten items only serve to act as kindling? Make sure you are periodically going through your things and clearing away anything you no longer need.
[Tweet “Clear away the clutter in your home. #FirePreventionWeek #Tip”]
EXCERPT FROM NFPA: National FIRE PREVENTION WEEK:
This year’s FPW campaign, “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!” works to educate everyone about the small but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.
Did you know?
In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Escape planning and practice can help you make the most of the time you have,giving everyone enough time to get out.
Plan ahead for your escape. Make your home escape plan and practice today.
For more fire prevention, preparedness, and safety tips, please visit the American Red Cross and FEMA’s Ready.gov.
It’s not just fires and even wildfires that we must be prepared for, but any natural disaster. This past Weather Channel story after Hurricane Sandy in ’12 explains why preparedness is essential.
