It’s frightening to think of your home being ravaged by a fire. However, this is a common occurrence. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there were approximately 354,400 fires in residential buildings in 2019 alone. While this number is extremely high, you can find comfort in the fact that many of these fires were preventable. While not all fires can be prevented, there are many precautions you can take to reduce the likelihood of a fire in your home.

Learn how to prevent fires from starting and spreading throughout your home and take the proper safety precautions and preventive measures to keep yourself and your family out of harm’s way. Use the following fire safety tips to prevent house fires and ensure peace of mind.

1. Regularly Testing Your Smoke Alarms

It’s not enough to install smoke alarms. You must test them regularly to ensure that they are working. In addition to changing the batteries twice a year to ensure proper functioning, it’s also important to press the button on the alarm to test its performance once a month. Make sure the alarm can be heard from far distances since it must be sounded throughout the house in case of an emergency.

Checking these ensures that you can get on top of any fire as soon as it is detected. If a fire breaks out and your smoke alarms are not working, you may not be alerted in time to prevent it from spreading or enact an escape plan. It’s also essential to replace your smoke alarms every ten years. 

2. Keep up With Maintenance

Your heating system should be maintained and regularly serviced by a professional. Chimneys and fireplaces can also be dangerous if they’re not kept clean. Thus, dust and flammable items should be removed from ignition sources.

3. Don’t Smoke Indoors 

Accordingly to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoking is the leading cause of fire-related deaths in the U.S. To avoid this, make sure to smoke outside and extinguish your cigarettes completely instead of simply tossing them when you’re finished.

4. Practice Electrical Safety

Electrical fires can be devastating and should be avoided at all costs. One of the ways you can do this is by always ensuring that you replace outlets if your plugs don’t fit into them and install additional outlets instead of overloading current outlets. Avoid using extension cords and power strips, and call an electrician if you’re experiencing repeatedly tripping circuit breakers. 

5. Carefully Store Flammable Items

When storing flammable liquids like propane and gasoline, always ensure they’re kept in their original containers and stored outside. It’s vital to clean up any spills as soon as possible and never overfill heaters or other equipment.

6. Practice Candle Safety

While candles are can be lit around the house, this should always be done with an abundance of precaution. If candles aren’t carefully monitored, they can start fires. Because of this, it’s essential never to keep candles on uneven surfaces or have them on while you’re asleep or out of the room. You should keep an eye on them at all times and keep them away from flammable items like blankets, curtains, etc.

7. Use Caution When Using Space Heaters

Space heaters and other heating devices can be convenient to keep warm but can get dangerous when not carefully monitored. In addition to using safety-tested electrical space heaters, it’s important to keep them away from flammable items and liquids. Like candles, they should constantly be monitored and should be turned off if you leave the room or go to sleep.

8. Cook Safely

It takes seconds for a fire to start. That’s why you should never leave the stove unattended when it is in use. If you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the gas to avoid accidents or have someone else supervise the cooking during your absence. If you’re cooking for long periods, it’s always best practice to keep a timer, so you know exactly when to turn the stove off.

In addition to this, it’s essential to make sure that you are cleaning your stove properly and that there are no food particles that can catch on fire. It’s also important to ensure that items like napkins and curtains aren’t anywhere near the stove. Often, leaving a dish towel close to a burner is enough to start a fire.

9. Practice Dryer Safety

Another household appliance that you should keep an eye on is your dryer. In addition to having it maintained professionally, it’s crucial always to empty the lint trap. This isn’t just important for making the dryer more efficient but is also an essential part of fire safety. Clogged filters and lint traps reduce airflow and can drive lint into heating coils, causing a fire.

10. Keep Fire Extinguishers on Hand

If a fire does break out, a fire extinguisher is your best bet against it. Having a fire extinguisher nearby is especially important in areas such as the kitchen and the laundry room. In addition to having access to fire extinguishers, it’s important to make sure that they’re the right kind of fire extinguishers and that you know how to use them.

For example, you can have foam, powder, carbon dioxide, and other types of fire extinguishers. The different kinds of extinguishers are used for different types of fires. For example, a grease fire in a kitchen cannot be put out by a water extinguisher since this can make the situation worse. Similarly, you cannot use water extinguishers on electrical fires since these need to be tacked with foam and carbon dioxide extinguishers.    

Call 911 Restoration of Kansas City Metro for Fire Restoration

Sometimes, you can take all the necessary precautions and can still fall victim to fire damage. In this case, the best thing to do is to call in experts and let them take care of fire damage restoration so you can get back to normalcy as soon as possible. 

If you’re in such a situation, 911 Restoration of Kansas City Metro can help. Our fire damage restoration experts can reach your home within 45 minutes of your call. We’re available for emergencies 24/7 and can be reached at (913) 227-4578 or via our contact form.