The Importance of Planning for Home Fires - What to Prepare & Plan
The fire damage restoration experts at Paul Davis understand how detrimental home fires can be. Not only can home fires ruin your home and personal possessions, but they are emotionally jarring and make you feel insecure. Fires can occur without a moment's notice and can be provoked by lots of variables, and they can be out of your control like natural disasters or your neighbor's house being on fire. Yet, there are still some steps you can implement to minimize the risk of a home fire in your home.
Fire Preparation - Property Recovery & Emergency Plans
Safety has to be the number one priority when prepping for a home fire, and smoke alarms and fire extinguishers should be placed throughout the home. Smoke alarms are vital since a fire could come out of the blue and you need to do something as quickly as possible. Another thing to consider with smoke alarms is obtaining ones that can identify smoke produced by electrical fires. Finally, any children living in the home need to be instructed on what a smoke alarm sounds like when it's triggered and what to do when it occurs.
Other precautions include outlining fire escape routes in your home. Create a strategy and ensure everybody in the home understands the emergency fire escape routes – there needs to be two exits for each room in the house. Also, it's critical to have a planned meeting spot outside so you know who gets out of the home.
Also, it's an excellent idea to create digital copies of valuable documents like birth certificates, and you should consider a fire safety box to keep them in. Take inventory of your personal possessions too in case they are engulfed in flames. You can either prepare a list on a device or take photos or videos to record your things.
To Decrease the Hazards of a Fire in Your Residence Practice These Steps
There are some aspects to recognize so you can minimize the perils and hazards that are commonly associated with home fires:
- Smoking: Outdoor smoking is the finest approach to avert a home fire from taking place. Don't smoke inside if someone in the home is on oxygen since oxygen is highly combustible. When you smoke inside, don't smoke while drowsy or in bed and have ashtrays with tall walls.
- Children: Children are inquisitive and fire is appealing for them, so instruct your kids that fire isn't something to play with. Also, keep matches and lighters in a secure area that is out of reach and out of sight.
- Fireplaces: It's vital to consistently clean and inspect your fireplace and chimney for damages and creosote. Use a fireplace screen that is durable and big enough to halt logs from rolling and catch sparks.
- Portable Heaters: Check that your heater has a control mechanism and a thermostat, and it needs to turn off if the heater falls over on its side.
- Appliances and Electrical: Examine the switches for your lights to see if they need to be changed out. When they're hot to the touch, that's a sign that they're faulty. Another thing you need to do is examine your electrical appliances for torn cords and damaged plugs.
- Cooking: Stay in the area at all times while you're cooking and don't leave it unattended. When you need to leave the area, get somebody to keep an eye on the food until you come back.
If You Need Fire Damage Repair Services - Call Paul for High-Quality Help Today
When you experience a home fire, don't wait to contact Paul Davis. Our expert team has the skills you need with fire damage repair services and we can have your property back to a habitable condition. Reach out to Paul at (800) 661-5975 and a franchise near you will be prepared to help out.
