The Value of Planning for Home Fires – What to Plan & Prepare

The fire damage repair experts from Paul Davis know how severe house fires are. Not only can house fires demolish your home and personal belongings, but they are emotionally unsettling and make you feel unsafe. Fires can occur in a matter of minutes and can be provoked by lots of variables, and they can be out of your control such as natural disasters or your neighbor’s house being on fire. But there are some precautions you can implement to decrease the risk of a house fire in your house.

Prepare Your Home for a Fire & Have an Emergency Strategy Ready at All Times

Safety has to be the number one priority when preparing for a house fire, and fire extinguishers and smoke alarms need to be located throughout the house. Smoke alarms are fundamental because a fire could come out of the blue and you need to take action as quickly as possible. Another thing to think about with smoke alarms is obtaining ones that can identify smoke produced from electrical fires. Finally, any kids living in the house need to be taught about what a smoke alarm sounds like when it‘s triggered and what to do when it occurs.

Next, get your fire escape program in place. Every member in the house needs to know two ways to escape from every room and where to gather outside when a fire occurs. Also, make sure that all members of the household know how to call 911 in the case of an emergency.

Taking inventory of your personal possessions is an excellent idea for insurance purposes just in case all your stuff is destroyed by the flames. Additionally, you’ll want to store important documents such as birth certificates and passports in a fire safe box, and you can create digital replicas and upload them to a cloud drive for added measure.

Things to Keep in Mind to Lessen Home Fire Hazards

While some fires aren’t avoidable, there are some things you can do to minimize the prospect of a fire from developing in your house:

  • Fireplaces: Creosote is very flammable and it builds up in your fireplace and chimney after it’s been in use, so always get your fireplace cleaned consistently. Getting a large, durable screen is also important to prevent sparks from entering the room and rolling logs.
  • Portable Heaters: Not under any condition should you leave a space heater unattended, and keep flammable or combustible items three feet away from the heater. It’s also fundamental for your portable heater to have the right features for safety. For instance, it turning off when it falls over.
  • Smoking: Indoor smoking makes your home vulnerable to house fires, so the finest way to prevent a calamity is to smoke outside. When you do smoke inside, have the proper ashtrays to restrain a cigar or cigarette from falling onto the ground. Yet, if someone in the house is using oxygen, do not smoke inside because oxygen is very combustible.
  • Children: Keep any matches or lighters in a place that is out of sight and out of reach from children to avoid their curiosity from lighting a fire. Explain to your children that fire is not something to play with too.
  • Cooking: It’s essential to be watchful in the kitchen and to not ignore food being cooked unattended. Without exception have someone there to keep an eye on what’s going on.
  • Appliances and Electrical: Frayed cords and broken plugs could easily produce a house fire, so make sure to check your appliances regularly for any issues. In addition, keep an eye on your light switches because if they’re hot, they need to be replaced.

For Fire Damage Repair Services – Contact Paul Davis for Professional Assistance Now

Home fires can occur, whether it’s a mishap or something completely out of your power, Paul Davis is here to lend a helping hand. Our fire damage repair services can re-mediate your house back to normal again. Call us at 888-473-7669 and a franchise in your area will be there to help.