The Facts About Fire Safety | SERVPRO of Englewood, Placida

12/22/2023 (Permalink)

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Is your home fire-safe? Fire safety tends to be something we take for granted. We put up smoke detectors around the house and check them every once in a while, or at least when they start making that annoying beeping sound. And then we just hope for the best. 

Did you know that the United States has the highest number of people killed by fire every year? Smoke detectors are a great first line of defense and can mean the difference between life and death. But there are many other ways to make fire safety a top priority in your home and avoid becoming part of that statistic.

With a better understanding of the facts about fire and some basic safety steps, your family will be safe through any emergency. 

Get to Know the Facts

If you do some research about fire, what you might find can be pretty astounding. While most of us think fire is something that will never happen in our homes or that we are prepared enough to keep everyone safe if it does, getting to know more of the facts might make you feel different. 

There are an average of 358,500 house fires every year. In only 30 seconds, a small flame can turn into a roaring blaze, and every day at least one child dies from a house fire. These are only a few of the facts that are out there—but they are pretty alarming reasons why fire safety should become one of our daily practices. 

You can take steps now and each and every day to break away from these statistics and rest a little easier knowing your family is safe. Since house fires cost nearly $12 billion in damage each and every year, by prioritizing fire safety, you are not only protecting your family, but you are also avoiding major financial losses. 

Fire Safety Basics

We already know that smoke detectors are a great first step toward safety, but you need to have enough working alarms in your house to actually be able to respond appropriately when a fire starts. You should have one on every level of your home and outside every bedroom. These should be tested monthly while everyone is around; it’s crucial to know what your detector sounds like so you can get moving immediately when you hear it. 

Put a fire extinguisher in your kitchen for another layer of safety. Cooking fires cause nearly 50% of all house fires, most of them occurring when a stove or other cooking appliance is left unattende

Always stay near a hot stove, griddle, oven or grill so that you can take quick action if something starts to burn. If you are cooking something in the oven and your meal catches fire, turn the oven off and leave the oven door closed until the flames are out. Smother grease fires with a pan lid or something else solid, and don’t place any soft materials near a hot stove. 

Make a fire safety plan with your family. Include exit routes and a meetup location as well as a communication plan for when disaster strikes. Practice your fire safety plan regularly, perhaps even creating some challenges to keep the fear factor low and really impress on your children what to do. 

Even if you experience a small flame you were able to quickly put out, call our experts at SERVPRO®. Smoke and soot damage can spread far from where the original flames were, and we have the tools and experience to clean all of it up quickly. 

Do you have fire, smoke or soot damage in your home? Contact us for fast restoration.