Fires can start in the house a number of different ways and knowing as much as you can about fire safety in the home is important in preventing this from happening.
Cooking in the kitchen poses the most amount of risk, but since most people have to do this to survive because they cannot afford to eat out all the time, it must be done. Safety comes first and this means that you should not leave anything on the stove unattended in the kitchen. If you do have to leave, turn it off or leave someone in the kitchen to watch it for you.
Space heaters that you using during the winter time can also present a substantial amount of risk if you do not know where you can safely place them in your home. They should never be put near furniture, curtains, or any other fabric item. Something else you need to know is that extension cords should never be used with appliances that use a lot of electricity or put out a large amount of heat. Electric skillets and deep fryers fall into this category along with space heaters and if you use a normal household extension cord with them, they will melt. If you have to use one, use a heavy duty one that is normally used outside.
If you smoke, this is another possible source of fire in the house. If you have to dump out cigarette ashes, make sure everything in the tray is completely put out. Something you should never do is smoke while you are in bed. Do not let yourself become too relaxed in a chair, either, since you may end up falling asleep and dropping the cigarette, either on the chair, bed, the floor, or yourself.
Chemicals that are flammable like gas and turpentine should be kept outside the house, preferably in a separate building. This way, if they catch on fire for some reason, the extra building will be on fire and not your home.
Electric blankets are also a great convenience, but the bad thing about these is that people tend to leave them on all night while they are sleeping instead of just using them to heat up the bed. Beds catch on fire due to improper use of these, so never leave the house while they are on and never leave them on while you are asleep.
Showing posts with label house fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label house fire. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Your Christmas Tree Can Be A Fire Hazard
Most Christian people have Christmas trees in their home around December, but sometimes think about how pretty the tree is much more than they think about what kind of a hazard it presents to the home when it is improperly cared for. Even though a Christmas tree catching on fire does not happen very often, it still does, and by following a few rules, you can make sure that it does not happen to you.
The tree that you pick should be a fresh one and has next to no needles that are turning brown. They should also be difficult to pull off; if you run your fingers over the needles and they fall off easily, you need to find another tree. Pick up the tree and tap the bottom against the ground to see how many needles fall off. If a lot of the green needles fall off in addition to the brown ones, it has already started to dry out.
When you cut down a Christmas tree, you should never cut it at an angle because this affects the ability of the tree to absorb water. It will dry out much faster than it would if you cut it straight from one side to the other.
One of the first things you need to do is keep the tree watered regularly. A tree that does not receive enough water will dry out and this is the last thing that you want. After the tree starts to shed its needles after Christmas is over, it is time to get rid of it.
They should also not be placed near any source of heat like a fireplace, space heaters, or radiators. Christmas trees only take a moment to catch on fire and once they are, it can be almost impossible to put it out. This is why it is extremely important to make sure that it remains moist by giving it fresh water every day.
If you leave the home and there is not going to be anyone there, it is best to unplug the lights from the wall. You should also do this when you go to bed. It may not seem like the lights would cause that much of a risk, but even small light bulbs can start fires like this.
The tree that you pick should be a fresh one and has next to no needles that are turning brown. They should also be difficult to pull off; if you run your fingers over the needles and they fall off easily, you need to find another tree. Pick up the tree and tap the bottom against the ground to see how many needles fall off. If a lot of the green needles fall off in addition to the brown ones, it has already started to dry out.
When you cut down a Christmas tree, you should never cut it at an angle because this affects the ability of the tree to absorb water. It will dry out much faster than it would if you cut it straight from one side to the other.
One of the first things you need to do is keep the tree watered regularly. A tree that does not receive enough water will dry out and this is the last thing that you want. After the tree starts to shed its needles after Christmas is over, it is time to get rid of it.
They should also not be placed near any source of heat like a fireplace, space heaters, or radiators. Christmas trees only take a moment to catch on fire and once they are, it can be almost impossible to put it out. This is why it is extremely important to make sure that it remains moist by giving it fresh water every day.
If you leave the home and there is not going to be anyone there, it is best to unplug the lights from the wall. You should also do this when you go to bed. It may not seem like the lights would cause that much of a risk, but even small light bulbs can start fires like this.
Household Fire Safety
A lot of people think that a house fire is something that cannot happen to them, but the fact of it is that there are a huge number of these that occur all around the world every day and destroy a large amount of property. There are a lot of things that you can do to protect your family and your property from this and it starts with having the right attitude about heat and electricity.
There are a few appliances in the house that you need to take extra care with when you use them and these are characterized by a large amount of electricity and heat. Space heaters that you use in the winter time to keep your house warm when you cannot afford a natural gas bill fit this description perfectly and the correct placement of these is critical. Never place these near curtains, upholstered furniture, and if you can help it, on carpet. Some space heaters can be used on carpet if the fan that blows the heat is at least 12 inches or so off the floor so the carpet is not heated by it. Space heaters with short legs are the most dangerous on carpet.
Be careful when using appliances with extension cords. Using something like a deep fryer, electric skillet, space heater, or electric blanket with a common household extension cord is a bad idea. You can use these with heavy duty extension cords, but make sure they are at least a 14 gauge. If it is not a heavy duty cord, it will melt.
If you use electric blankets during the winter, you should never leave them on while you are sleeping. There have been quite a few people that have woken up to their bed on fire because they decided to leave the blanket on all night instead of just using it to warm up the bed like the instructions intend. When you store these, do so in the top of the closet or somewhere else up high where it cannot be stepped on, since the heating coils inside these are easily damaged.
Grease fires in the kitchen are the most common type of fire and you should never leave anything that you are cooking on the stove or any other cooking appliance unattended. Try not to leave the room for any reason unless you can have someone come into the kitchen and watch the food for you while you take care of business in another area of the house. Never, ever leave the house while something is cooking, even if you are just boiling water.
There are a few appliances in the house that you need to take extra care with when you use them and these are characterized by a large amount of electricity and heat. Space heaters that you use in the winter time to keep your house warm when you cannot afford a natural gas bill fit this description perfectly and the correct placement of these is critical. Never place these near curtains, upholstered furniture, and if you can help it, on carpet. Some space heaters can be used on carpet if the fan that blows the heat is at least 12 inches or so off the floor so the carpet is not heated by it. Space heaters with short legs are the most dangerous on carpet.
Be careful when using appliances with extension cords. Using something like a deep fryer, electric skillet, space heater, or electric blanket with a common household extension cord is a bad idea. You can use these with heavy duty extension cords, but make sure they are at least a 14 gauge. If it is not a heavy duty cord, it will melt.
If you use electric blankets during the winter, you should never leave them on while you are sleeping. There have been quite a few people that have woken up to their bed on fire because they decided to leave the blanket on all night instead of just using it to warm up the bed like the instructions intend. When you store these, do so in the top of the closet or somewhere else up high where it cannot be stepped on, since the heating coils inside these are easily damaged.
Grease fires in the kitchen are the most common type of fire and you should never leave anything that you are cooking on the stove or any other cooking appliance unattended. Try not to leave the room for any reason unless you can have someone come into the kitchen and watch the food for you while you take care of business in another area of the house. Never, ever leave the house while something is cooking, even if you are just boiling water.
Easy Ways To Prevent House Fires
House fires claim lives and destroy property all across the globe, but you and your home do not have to be a victim. As long as you follow a set of guidelines that have been developed to protect you and your family, the chance that your home will catch on fire will be greatly reduced. Make sure the rest of your household knows these new rules and that you plan on having them follow them to the letter, though, or the effort will be wasted.
One of the most important things is to realize that most house fires start in the kitchen. These usually start due to human error or negligence, but mostly it is because items are left unattended on the stove. This is something that you should never do. Do not allow yourself to become occupied with other events in your home such as fighting children, the telephone, or family members wanting you in another room. If you want to watch something on TV while you are cooking, have a small television installed in the kitchen, perhaps under one of the upper cabinets. Give yourself every reason to stay in the kitchen.
You should also not ever try to open your stove’s oven door while it is cleaning itself. Most ovens lock shut while they are cleaning themselves and you should not try to force this door open due to the amount of heat inside. This is a hotter temperature than it will allow you to cook things at.
If you ever have to clean anything with gas or turpentine, do it outside away from your house due to the fumes. The fumes are heavier than air and settle around the floor, making any spark from a wall outlet a serious threat. These and other materials marked as highly flammable should be stored outside the home and away from it, in a shed of some kind if possible.
Your electrical outlets should never be overloaded with accessories that create extra outlets or extension cords. Extension cords, when you do have to use them, should not be used with devices that are created to emit a large amount of heat, such as space heaters or items that you cook with, such as electric skillets. These will melt most household extension cords, so a more heavy duty variety should be used. Never run extension cords under rugs or carpet.
The batteries in your smoke detectors need to be changed at least once a year. Test your smoke detector every few months to make sure that it is working correctly and having one that also detects carbon monoxide is an added bonus, since this is a silent, invisible killer that is more common than you may realize.
One of the most important things is to realize that most house fires start in the kitchen. These usually start due to human error or negligence, but mostly it is because items are left unattended on the stove. This is something that you should never do. Do not allow yourself to become occupied with other events in your home such as fighting children, the telephone, or family members wanting you in another room. If you want to watch something on TV while you are cooking, have a small television installed in the kitchen, perhaps under one of the upper cabinets. Give yourself every reason to stay in the kitchen.
You should also not ever try to open your stove’s oven door while it is cleaning itself. Most ovens lock shut while they are cleaning themselves and you should not try to force this door open due to the amount of heat inside. This is a hotter temperature than it will allow you to cook things at.
If you ever have to clean anything with gas or turpentine, do it outside away from your house due to the fumes. The fumes are heavier than air and settle around the floor, making any spark from a wall outlet a serious threat. These and other materials marked as highly flammable should be stored outside the home and away from it, in a shed of some kind if possible.
Your electrical outlets should never be overloaded with accessories that create extra outlets or extension cords. Extension cords, when you do have to use them, should not be used with devices that are created to emit a large amount of heat, such as space heaters or items that you cook with, such as electric skillets. These will melt most household extension cords, so a more heavy duty variety should be used. Never run extension cords under rugs or carpet.
The batteries in your smoke detectors need to be changed at least once a year. Test your smoke detector every few months to make sure that it is working correctly and having one that also detects carbon monoxide is an added bonus, since this is a silent, invisible killer that is more common than you may realize.
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