No one likes the thought of their home going up in flames and many people assume it will happen to someone else. But, the truth is that fires can start at any time and you need to be prepared for them. In fact, more than 50 people die due to house fires every year. What is truly scary is that, in many cases, you have less than two minutes to get out. The simple truth is that modern materials encourage the spread of fire and the smoke produced is toxic. Which is why you should know how to prepare for a fire at home.
Make A Plan
The most important thing you can do is to make a plan today. That means evaluating every room of the house to see how you would get out if there was a fire.
You should draw a plan that shows the route out of each room and there should be two possible routes out of the room. In many cases, one of these routes is out of the window. That means ensuring fire windows have been fitted and you know how to get across the roof or down to the ground safely.
Once you have devised the plan, practice it! Don’t forget to revise it regularly.
Smoke Alarms and House Alarms
Smoke alarms save lives because they alert you to the fact there is a fire. You need to have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home, more is fine! It is best not to put one in the kitchen but you can have one near the kitchen. This reduces the number of false alarms.
A house alarm system can also prove to be very beneficial as you will be notified of any strange activity within your home. This will give you the peace of mind that your home is being looked after as well and it comes in handy when it comes to fire safety too.
Fire Curtains
Fire or smoke curtains are generally seen in commercial premises but they can save lives at home as well. These devices are mounted on the ceiling and drop down when a fire is detected. The smoke curtain contains smoke but not the fire while the fire curtain can prevent the fire from getting past for several hours.
Both can be used to create a secure passage out of your home, giving you more time to get out safely.
Fire Extinguishers
Every home should have a fire extinguisher or two. This gives you something that can be safely used to tackle a small blaze and possibly save it from getting out of hand.
Fire extinguishers need to be tested and recharged periodically to ensure they work when you need them to.
Most importantly, these are designed for small fires or to help you clear enough of a route to get out. Don’t try to be a hero when dealing with a large blaze. The best thing you can do is get out and stay out.
Documents
Most things in your home can be replaced if a fire occurs, that is why the important thing is for you to get out alive. But, some things are time-consuming to replace or impossible. Create digital copies of everything and physical copies where necessary and store them somewhere safe, away from your home.
Preparing for a fire at home is a great thing to do. It will make it much easier to start again if a fire does happen.
