The Importance of Preparing for Home Fires – What to Plan & Prepare

As far as cataclysmic emergencies go there are few things as staggering as a fire that ruins your property and possessions. A fire in your property is a harrowing and an intensely draining situation, whether it consumes everything or not. However, there are certain precautions you can implement to decrease the likelihood of a fire from occurring in your home. The fire damage repair team from Paul Davis understands the severe situation of house fires and that’s why it’s essential to know how to plan and prepare your home and what to do when a fire occurs.

Prepare Your Property for the Prospect of a Fire & Always Have a Fire Escape Plan

Safety has to be the first concern when preparing for a house fire, and fire extinguishers and smoke alarms should be placed throughout the house. Smoke alarms are vital because a fire can spring out of the blue and you need to take action as quickly as possible. Another thing to consider with smoke alarms is purchasing ones that can recognize smoke generated by electrical fires. Lastly, any children residing in the house need to be instructed on what a smoke alarm sounds like when it‘s triggered and what to do when it occurs.

Other safety measures consist of outlining fire escape routes in your home. Design a plan and make sure everybody in the house knows the fire escape routes – there needs to be two exits for every room in the home. It’s also critical to have a designated meeting place outside so you know who gets out of the house.

Another thing you should do is protect your important items like photographs, birth certificates and passports. You can create digital copies and store them into a cloud drive for safe keeping, and you can buy a fire safe box to keep the real copies safe as well. Lastly, make a record of all your personal belongings for insurance reasons in the event they’re engulfed by the flames.

Things to Be Cognizant of to Lessen Home Fire Risk

While some fires aren’t avoidable, there are a few things you can do to minimize the odds of a fire from developing in your home:

  • Portable Heaters: Never allow a portable heater alone, and keep flammable or combustible items three feet away from it. It’s also critical for your heater to have the right safety features. For instance, it turning off when it tips over.
  • Appliances and Electrical: Check your light switches to see if they need to be changed out. When they’re hot to the touch, that’s a sign that they’re defective. Additionally, examine your appliances for frayed cords and defective plugs.
  • Children: Keep any lighters or matches in an area that is out of sight and out of reach from children to stop their curiosity from starting a fire. Teach your children that fire is not something to play with as well.
  • Cooking: The kitchen is one of the more vulnerable places for a fire to develop. It’s critical to pay attention to what’s in the oven or on the stove, and if you need to step out, have somebody keep an eye on it until you come back.
  • Smoking: Inside smoking makes your property exposed to house fires, so the best approach to prevent a calamity is to smoke outdoors. When you do smoke indoors, make sure you have proper ashtrays to stop a cigarette or cigar from falling onto the floor. However, if somebody in the home is using oxygen, do not smoke indoors because oxygen is highly combustible.
  • Fireplaces: Creosote is highly flammable and it develops in your fireplace and chimney after it’s been used, so always get your fireplace cleaned and maintained consistently. Obtaining a big, sturdy screen is also crucial to prevent sparks from flying into the room and rolling logs.

Contact the Fire Damage Repair Experts from Paul Davis

Immediately reach out to the professional fire damage repair team from Paul Davis if your property has had a fire. Our expert team can re-mediate any fire damage and get your property back in a livable condition. For a Paul Davis franchise near your location, reach out to us at 888-473-7669.