Owning a property and investing in things to make your life more convenient need to be taken care of. Regular maintenance helps in preserving the excellent condition of your furniture and fixtures. However, some disasters are difficult to avoid unless you pay attention to what causes them. A house fire is one of these occurrences. Yes, this can be avoided, but there are times when it surprises property owners.
Aside from losing your hard-earned investments, this disaster also has health implications. Many die from being trapped in a burning property. Some are lucky to get out, but they usually suffer from serious burns, wounds, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In case of death, carbon monoxide poisoning is often the common cause.
If you don’t want to experience any of these effects caused by a burning property this summer, you can follow simple and common fire safety tips. They can help prevent a fire from starting and causing havoc on your home.
Things That Can Lead to a House Fire
In avoiding accidents caused by fires, it is essential that you know the things or activities that can spark them. To help you identify these, here’s a list of the things that can lead to a burning home if they are neglected:
1. Grease Buildup On Your Kitchen Appliances
Summer is the season for festivities and house parties. While it is normal to let go of any inhibition during these times, you have to look out for your home and consider fire safety measures if you’re the one hosting the gathering.
The parties you are hosting can result in an increase in the usage of kitchen appliances from cooking to dish washing. There is, however, one thing you must watch out for: grease. While cooking, it is typical to have droplets of oil in the kitchen, but don’t let this pile up. The grease from cooking has a high smoking point, so it is important that you keep your kitchen clean.
2. Loaded Electric Circuits
Each electric circuit you have at home has its designated capacity. If you go overboard with the appliances or gadgets you plug onto these circuits, they can lead to a house fire. If you notice that your electrical outlet covers heat quickly, unplug the appliances and gadgets connected to them and avoid plugging them simultaneously.
If you have no idea how much electric capacity each outlet and circuit in your property can hold, it is best to call electricians to check on them. If they get hot quickly, the wirings might be busted and may need to be replaced. You should let professionals fix the problem to prevent a fire from starting.
How to Prevent House Fires
Owning a property is an investment. It would be best if you always take care of it and prevent any hazard that can damage it. To protect your home, here are some fire safety tips that you can follow:
1. Check the Smoke Detector
A smoke detector is one of the home fire safety requirements from the government that every property owner must comply with. After building or purchasing a property, it is essential that you install this gadget not only to meet government requirements, but to ensure your family’s safety as well.
Make it a habit to test your fire and smoke detectors at least once a month. Testing them can vary depending on the brand and model that you have. However, most units have a button that you can press to test if they are working. Also, ensure that you have someone to help you when testing the alarm from the outside. Ideally, this person needs to have excellent hearing so he or she can easily hear the alarm even from afar.
Other good summer fire safety tips include regularly changing the batteries of your fire and smoke detectors. This ensures that you can rely on the detectors in case a fire breaks out in your property.
As homeowners, you also should know the life span of your home detectors. Most of these last for around 10-15 years with proper maintenance. Once your detectors exceed their life spans, you should consider replacing them to ensure that your property continues to be safe.
2. Check the Indoor Sprinklers
An indoor sprinkler is one of the most basic fire safety measures. This device helps stop fires at homes and other properties from worsening apart from fire alarms. Some units are automatic, so they will simultaneously release water once the alarms get triggered. Meanwhile, there are usually buttons or switches for old units so you can turn on the sprinkler for testing.
Regardless of whether you have an old or new version of indoor sprinklers, it is crucial that you check this home fire safety device regularly to ensure that it’s still working.
3. Check Your Appliances
Another safety tip worth considering is to check your appliances at home. Most of them should get tested for durability during the summer season. When they get broken, some of them can start a fire. However, there are several ways to prevent a fire from breaking out due to appliance failure.
The most common way to avoid house fire is to always clean your appliances. For instance, do not let grease pile up on top of your stove, griller, or oven because this can trigger a fire.
It is also essential to let appliances and other gadgets such as the HVAC system and washing machines rest once in a while to avoid wear and tear or overheating, both of which can lead to a fire.
4. Other Home Fire Safety Practices
Blowing out candles after use, having and occasionally changing fire extinguishers, and avoiding smoking in heated areas are some of the most common summer fire safety tips you can easily follow. It doesn’t take much effort to practice these habits, but it is crucial that you train yourself to stick to them. For example, you can walk outside of the property instead of smoking inside because if the cigarette butt touches a fabric, it can quickly start a fire. Always observe caution when you have fire-prone materials at home.
Call Deep Water Emergency Services & Restoration to Fix Fire Damage to Your Home
If you experience a house fire this summer, immediately call a professional restoration company like Deep Water Emergency Services & Restoration to help you fix damaged areas, appliances, and furniture sets.
We’ll be happy to provide you with our Dallas fire and water damage restoration service. We have a team of professional and experienced technicians who can work on saving your property from total damage due to a fire. We will ensure the efficient salvaging of your property and restore its beauty and functionality. Call us now.
