Though fire safety might not be high on your priority list when you move into an apartment, it's not something you want to regret at a later date. The findings of the National Fire protection Agency (NFPA) reveal some startling statistics; in 2009, U.S. fire departments had to tend to 362,500 home fires, which caused approximately $7.6 billion in damages. These fires claimed 2,565 lives and injured more than 12,650 people; sufficient evidence that fire safety should be taken seriously.
Facts Cooking remains one of the primary causes of home fires as does smoking. Often people fall asleep leaving food to heat on the stove which leads to a fire. A stray cigarette butt not extinguished properly, electrical malfunction, overheating and charcoal or paper burnt indoors are other common reasons for fires starting at home.
A fire needs heat, oxygen and fuel to start and sustain; and once a fire starts and heats up an area, the heat will cause the fire to spread very quickly, often much faster than you can estimate. A home has sufficient amounts of all three; clothes, wood, food, paper, everything is inflammable. The best thing you can do during a fire, of course for your safety, is to run out of the house immediately.
According to the NFPA study, in almost 40% of avoidable fires, smoke alarms weren't installed, while in 23% cases they didn't have batteries or they were disconnected. False or nuisance alarms are the leading causes of smoke alarms being disabled. The first step towards fire safety therefore is to check your smoke alarms to make sure they are activated at all times!
The study also revealed that the winter months of January, February and March are the peak months for home fires, possibly due to the higher indoors temperature through fireplaces and heaters.
Fire safety- preemptive measures:
Create an escape route - Does your home have an escape route? When short listing a house, if it is on a higher level than ground, make sure it has some kind of an escape route. If it doesn't, ensure fire safety by installing an escape ladder. In case of a fire, you might have to take a call whether you want to stay indoors and risk being suffocated, or jump down and risk breaking a limb. An escape route makes it easier not just for you to leave but also for rescue personnel to enter burning premises that might have blocked doors and save crucial time.
Smoke Alarms - Check your smoke alarms atleast once a year to see they are working properly; change batteries if needed. A smoke alarm on each level of the home is important and it is best they all are interconnected. According to the NFPA, smoke alarms are the best form of fire safety as they cut the risk of dying in a fire by half! Most smoke alarms have a limited life and need to be replaced every 10 years, a fact people sadly tend to ignore.
Store and discard any inflammable material properly - Ensure fire safety by storing inflammable liquids like kerosene outside the house in metal containers; dispose of ash and other waste in a steel bin away from the house.
Adequate ventilation and proper wiring- Make sure the house has adequate ventilation since burning fuel produces deadly fumes. Check your pipes from time to time to ensure there is no carbon buildup. Clean chimneys and exhaust systems atleast once a year before the onset of winters for optimum fire safety. Ensure all doors and windows at home open and close properly, and all electrical fixtures are wired properly and well covered. It has been found that electrical failures or malfunctions result in almost 50,000 fires a year.
Sprinkler systems - having a sprinkler system in close proximity to your home structure makes it easier to battle a fire immediately. Once again, make sure it works! Some home insurance companies give you discounts going up to 20% on your rates if you install the right combination of smoke detectors, and sprinkler systems in your house. That just goes to show the importance of both these fire safety measures.
Lastly- compile an inventory of your household stuff and valuables preferably along with photographs so that in the event of any fire damage, you have no trouble claiming from your home insurance company.
As per *NFPA findings, in 2008, the fire department was responding to fires in homes almost every 82 seconds; approximately 8 people died in home fires every day while a person was injured in home fires every 40 minutes. Remember stuff lost in a fire is replaceable while lives are not. Educating yourself and taking the right steps to ensure fire safety can protect you and your loved ones in the event of an unforeseen mishap.
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