Are You And Your Family Prepared In Case Of Fire?

Home fires are more common than one would think with over 67,000 home fires totalling over $800 million property damage annually. Nationally, nearly 500 people lose their lives and more than 2,000 individuals are injured in home fires.

Are you doing everything you can within your home to prevent fires? Here are some tips to prevent fires in your home:
Install smoke/fire detectors AND carbon monoxide detectors on each level of your home – including the basement level. (Put this on your "must to do list" for this weekend.)

* When cooking do not leave the kitchen
* Blow out candles when you leave the room
* Put cigarettes and cigars in water to put them out
* Do not leave on curling irons, hair strengtheners or irons
* Keep space heaters away from anything that can ignite
* Keep towels and other objects away from the stove when cooking

Does everyone in your family know NOT to try moving a frying pan that is on fire away from the range top? Many people are severely burned every year trying. Does everyone in your family know how to put out a range top fire? Water should never be thrown on a range top fire. It only makes the fire worse and can easily spread the fire to a larger area. Everyone in your family should know that range top fires should be put out by smothering it with a towel, baking soda or baking powder can work too. Try covering small fires with a lid. Needless to say, a fully charged fire extinguisher located in the kitchen should be your first line of defense. Everyone should have been trained on its operation before a fire occurs in your home.

Has everyone in your family been trained and gone through practice fire drills including actually escaping through bedroom windows? Being prepared and trained to escape quickly may save lives of loved ones. Gather the family and go over fire safety rules and how you will exit the house if there were a fire; including where to meet you outside the home – daytime or nighttime.
This is especially important for children to know. If everyone is on the same page beforehand, the exit from the fire will be quicker with the desired results.
If your clothes catch on fire: STOP, DROP, and ROLL until the fire goes out and cover your face with your hands.

Has everyone in your family practiced STOP, DROP, and ROLL? If someone's clothes do catch on fire the best thing to do until the fire goes out is to cover your face with your hands and do the Stop, Drop, & Roll exercise.

Here are some things to think about:
* Faulty (frayed, cracked or cut sheathing) wiring causes more fires than any other source. Check your home for damaged wires to lamps, appliances, TV's and replace any questionable wiring this weekend.

* If a wall light switch is warm or hot, replace it this weekend. If lights flicker when they are turned on the wall switch should be replaced.

* Have a hanging ladder on the second floor of your house. Everyone should know how to secure it from the window and everyone should experience going down the ladder before there is a fire.

* Make sure kids know how to get out alternative windows if they need to. Be sure they have all practiced setting up the ladder and climbing down the ladder in the dark from different windows.
* Teach kids to crawl on ground if there is smoke.

* Warn kids ahead of time that door handles might be too hot to touch and to test touch their door for fire related heat before opening.

* Have each member of your family been taught how to use the fire extinguishers in your home?
Here is a fire safety websites for you and your family:

Home Safety Counsel Fire Safety Tips
American Red Cross Fire Safety Tips