Improving Home Safety by Reducing Fire Risk

As we head into winter and dive directly into the holiday season, we also enter peak home fire season. Every year, home fires cause billions of dollars in damages and cost thousands of innocent lives. These disasters are always tragic and often avoidable. Reduce your risk of experience a home fire by following or easy safety instructions.

Regularly Check Smoke Detectors

Smoke detectors should be your number one ally in the fight against deadly home fires. You should preform regular, monthly checks on your smoke detectors. Follow the specific instruction for you smoke detector to perform a thorough test. Usually this is as simple as pressing and holding a small test button located somewhere on the unit. Keep extra batteries on hand at all time. Change them the moment your smoke detectors starts emitting that irritating telltale low battery chirp.

Reducing Risk

Smoke detectors quickly warn you when a fire starts in your home. Preferably, that fire will never start in the first place! Reduce the risk of a home fire starting by familiarizing yourself with common causes. A majority of fires start in the kitchen. Never leave your stove or oven unsupervised while you are cooking. If you have gas appliances, monitor them carefully. If you smell even a hint of gas in the air, turn off the supply immediately and open windows and doors. If the smell persists, evacuate your home and call 911.

Seasonal Factors

Peak home fire season always occurs during the winter. Heaters and holiday lights are common causes of fires. Always remember to unplug decorations whenever you leave the home or go to sleep. Inspect your strings of holiday lights before you hand them up on the tree. If they are fray or the wiring looks damaged, they lights need to be discard.