Each year more than 4,000 Americans die and more than 20,000 suffer serious injuries because of house fires. Smoke inhalation is responsible for three out of every four of these deaths. It’s important that you and your family practice good fire safety to ensure that everyone remains safe if a fire breaks out in your home.

Smoke Detectors

Smoke detectors are a very important part of fire safety. They provide an effective defense against household fires. The first wisp of smoke sets off a piercing alarm that warns occupants of a fire. Some smoke detectors have lights that illuminate the space nearby, offering residents an easier escape route. Be certain that each person in your home knows what your fire alarm sounds like. The smoke detector alarm should sound significantly different than other home alarms. You don’t want your family hiding from a burglar when they should be vacating the premises because of fire.

Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers look easy to use, but when a fire breaks out things happen quickly. All members of your household should read the instructions on how to use the fire extinguisher before it is needed.

Checking Fire Extinguishers

If you plan on purchasing only one fire extinguisher, it should be a multi-purpose ABC dry chemical extinguisher. These extinguishers cover all types of fires. Fire extinguishers should be inspected at least once a month. Keep a record of inspection by fastening a tag to the extinguisher that shows the inspection date and any recharges that were done. Check the pressure gauge to be certain the extinguisher hasn’t developed a slow leak that has partially discharged the tank. Does the gauge still read in the safe zone? It should.

Also be certain that the extinguisher pin is still in place. Lift the extinguisher off its bracket to be sure it can be moved easily. Check its overall condition. Weigh carbon dioxide extinguishers every six months to be certain the contents haven’t leaked.

Never expel contents of regular or multi-purpose dry chemical extinguishers in order to check them. Once you have used any amount of the contents the extinguisher must be recharged. If adjustments or repairs are needed, have them done by a professional fire equipment technician.

Where to Install?

You should have at least one fire extinguisher on each floor of your home, near exits and in a prominent place. Consider placing one in the garage, near wood burning stoves, by portable heating units and at the top of all staircases.

When to Use?

Only use a fire extinguisher if everyone has cleared the area and the fire is small. If you have any doubt about the extinguisher being able to handle the job, get your family out of the house and call the fire department. Never allow a fire to cut off your escape route. Your first priority is making sure that everyone gets out of the house safely, including yourself.

How to Use?

To use a fire extinguisher, pull the pin, aim the nozzle at the base of the flames, squeeze the handle and use a rapid, sweeping motion vertically or horizontally from six to eight feet away from the fire. Be sure to cover the fire from the base of the flames to just above the top, or from side to side in front of the flames and to end just beyond the flames.

Fire Escape

Though you take great preventative measures, an accidental fire is still possible. A family meeting should be held to discuss exactly what to do in case of fire. The meeting should include a fire escape plan.

Draw a floor plan of your house. Indicate where doors, windows, hallways, stairways, bedrooms, ledges and roofs are. Mark all exits and alternate escape routes. Stress the importance of staying calm. Panic kills. It increases the chance of inhaling toxic gases and smoke and can cause you to make a choice that could injure or kill someone.

All rooms should have two escape routes. Keep windows in good working order so they can be unlocked easily. Never paint windows shut.

If there is no roof nearby, escape ladders are needed on upper levels. Chain and rope ladders are available through mail order catalogues and at hardware stores, security shops and building supply centers.

Stay Low

Smoke and poisonous gases rise with the hot air from flames. Instruct all household members to crawl along floors where smoke and fume concentrations are lowest. Hold a wet cloth or towel to your face and take short breaths.

Close Doors

If a fire breaks out, bedroom doors should be closed to prevent flames from spreading. Always feel a door before opening it. If it is cool, brace yourself against it, turn your face away and open it slowly. Shut it immediately if any smoke or heat comes from the opening. Never open a door that is hot to your touch. Choose an alternate escape route.

Breaking Out

If it is necessary to break a window that won’t open, be sure all doors are closed. Open windows and doors cause flames to spread. Stand to the side of the window as you swing an object such as an unplugged floor lamp toward the glass. Remove all glass shards from the frame; place a thick cloth, blanket or towel over the frame and windowsill before your move through it.

If you can’t escape through a window for any reason, stand in it and wave a sheet or light colored article of clothing in the window. This draws attention. Firefighters look for people at windows of dwellings.

Jump from a window only as a last resort, especially if you are on an upper floor. If jumping is necessary, first hang by your hands from the windowsill, then let go. Bend your knees when landing to cushion the blow.

Get Rid of Clutter

Escape routes such as hallways, staircases, windows and doors should always be kept clear. Family members may need to negotiate them in the dark.

Fire Drills

Choose a meeting place outside your home and be certain that all family members are aware of what they should do once they’ve escaped from the home. Hold fire drills. Some drills should be held at night to ensure everyone knows what to do and will be able to act quickly if an emergency arises. Assign someone to help elderly family members and young children escape. If a fire does break out, never return to a burning house for pets or personal belongings.

Trapped

Firefighters are trained to rescue people who are trapped in burning buildings. If you find yourself trapped, try to get to a room that has a window. Stuff clothing, towels or bedding around doors and vents to stop gases and smoke from entering the room. Call the fire department if a phone is available. Open a window toward the top of the room to let smoke escape, if possible. Open a window that is low in the room in order to signal for help and access fresh air. If the smoke is rising from a lower floor, don’t open windows.

Fire in Clothing

If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop to the ground with your arms folded across your chest and try to roll out the flames. If available, roll in a heavy coat or blanket to smother flames until someone can spray you with water.

On the Alert

Teach children to alert family members if a fire breaks out, then leave the house immediately and call for help. Every family member should have a flashlight of their own. These should be placed where they are easily accessible, such as a bedside table.

Priorities

Make it clear to all household members that preserving life is the first consideration. No action should be taken until all family members are warned of a fire. The first priority is assuring that everyone gets out of the house safely.

Babysitters

Make sure that anyone who is caring for your children know your emergency procedures. Tell them where fire escapes are and where your designated meeting place is. They should have access to emergency numbers for fire department, ambulance and police. Be sure these numbers are posted on your telephone.

Fire Prevention Checklist

• Fire needs three elements to spread; oxygen, fuel and a source of ignition.

• Maintain good housekeeping habits – eliminate clutter.

• Follow safety procedures carefully when using wood stoves, open heaters, fireplaces and furnaces.

• Never smoke in bed and dispose of butts carefully before retiring.

• Be certain to store matches in a container with a tight fitting lid and out of the reach of children.

• Be sure to have wood burning stoves, fireplaces, chimneys and flues cleaned and inspected regularly.

• Burn small, hot fires in fireplaces and wood burning stoves. Never freshen a dying fire by squirting a flammable liquid onto it.

• Only use portable heaters in case of emergencies or if existing heat systems are not working or cannot be modified to heat certain areas of your home.

• Always use the correct fuel when using kerosene heaters. Provide adequate ventilation. Never refuel a hot unit. Keep flammable and combustible materials away from heaters. Always turn kerosene heaters off when you leave the house or retire for the night.

• Burn only dry, seasoned hardwood or materials manufactured for clean, wood burning use.

• Use a set of heat resistant glass doors or a fire screen on fireplaces. Never leave a fire unattended.

• Irons, hotplates, toasters and space heaters should be unplugged when not in use.

• Always have wood burning stoves and fireplaces installed by a professional. Have the installer return annually for a proper inspection. Be sure to eliminate dangerous creosote levels in chimneys.

• Avoid using extension cords with portable, electric heaters. If you must use one, be sure the cord has a power rating heavy enough to carry the voltage, but this in not recommended.

• Never cook when wearing loose, long sleeved clothing.

• Keep all combustibles away from stove top burners.

• Use back burners whenever possible and never allow pan handles to extend over the front of the stove.

• Use good smoke detectors and replace batteries at least every six months. Test smoke detectors monthly or upon your return from an extended absence.

• If you have to answer the phone, door or a child’s request while cooking with oil, remove the pan from the stove and shut off the burner.

• Always store gasoline and other flammable liquids in outbuildings. These must be stored in approved safety containers.

• Try to purchase only the quantity of flammable liquids as you need at one time.

• Never freshen charcoal fires by squirting hot coals with flammable liquid. Never leave a charcoal fire or barbecue unattended.

• Clear dead branches, dry leaves and any tinder vegetation from your yard.

• Use caution during holidays. Jack-O-Lanterns, Christmas trees, candles and decorations of some types can be fire hazards if not used properly.

Home Inspection List

• Have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and know how to use it.

• Every member of your family should know how to dial 911 in case of emergency.

• All electrical cords should be in good condition and used properly.

• Each floor of your house and every sleeping area should be equipped with a working smoke detector.

• Gasoline should be stored in approved containers in a locked shed or garage.

• House number should be able to be seen easily from the street by emergency vehicles.

• Household chemicals, poisons, matches and lighters should be stored in containers with tight fitting lids and out of the reach of children.

• Smoke detector batteries should be changed every six months and tested monthly.

• The lint collector on your clothes dryer should be inspected and cleaned before each use.

• Vacuum excess lint from under and behind clothes dryers monthly.

• Fireplace should have a proper screen and the ashes should be disposed of properly.

• All areas of your home should be free of clutter and potential fire hazards.

• My kitchen hood vent is cleaned and maintained on a regular basis.

• Paint, thinners and other flammables must be stored in original containers away from heat and spark sources.

• Never smoke in bed or when you are drowsy.

• Never leave food cooking on the stove, unattended for any reason.

• Every room in your house should have two exits.

• Family members should develop and practice an emergency escape plan.

Did you know?

• Most fire fatalities and injuries in America occur in the victim’s home.

• Careless smoking is the leading cause of fires in the home that result in death.

• Heating equipment is the second leading cause of fires in the home.

• Forty percent of cooking fires occur when the victims are asleep.

• Two thirds of residential fire victims die of lack of oxygen, smoke inhalation or poisonous gases – not third degree burns.

• Cooking is the leading cause of all residential fires and fire injuries.

Survival Tips

• Be certain that your family has an escape plan.

• Contact your local fire department to help you develop a fire escape plan.

• Teach members of your family to recognize the sound of fire alarms.

• Sleep with your bedroom door closed. Closed doors provide protection against smoke and heat.

• Test doors before opening. If you open a door to an area where a fire has spread, you can be overcome by flames, heat or smoke.

• Use windows as alternate escape routes.

• If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop and roll.

• Crawl under smoke. Heated air, smoke and gas fill the room from the top. A safety zone exists twelve to twenty-four inches above the floor.

• Make your escape and call 911 from a neighbor’s. It is dangerous to call for help from a burning house.

Fire Smarts

• Fire destroys more property and claims more lives each year than any natural disaster.

• Fires are preventable. Help your local fire department reduce the senseless loss of life and property in your community by keeping your home free of fire hazards.

• Share your knowledge of fire prevention and safety with family and friends. Fire prevention and safety begins with education.

• If you have questions about fire prevention or safety, or would like more information, call your local fire department. Someone will be glad to talk to you and answer your questions.

• Remember that your family is your most valuable asset. It is your responsibility to protect family members from the danger of fire.

 

External Links:

• Sparky the Fire Dog - This site is a great place to enjoy all kinds of family fun and to learn more about fire safety.
• Kids Fire Safety Tips - Join Reddy the fire extinguisher, Buzzy the smoke detector, Squirt the water drop and their friends to learn all about fire safety.
• SmokeyBear.com - Read Smokey Bear's story and learn about campfires and wildfires.
• FireSafety.gov - Tips on fire safety, home sprinklers, smoke detectors, electrical hazards and more.
• U.S. Fire Administration for Kids - This site is a great source for kids and adults who want to learn about fire safety, escape routes and more.
• United States Fire Administration - This section contains information to help you protect your family from fire. Included is information about smoke alarms, residential fire sprinklers, escape routes and more.