If you own a lovely house or rent an apartment, it’s normal to ask, "How can you protect your home from fire?" Fire safety must be a priority to keep your household safe and secure. The following are five useful tips you can use to avoid experiencing a fire in your home:
1. Ensure That Your Alarm Is Functional
Your smoke alarm is the very first line of defense to warn you of a problem. Thus, you have to view it as the most important item in your home. Check it regularly to ensure that the batteries are good, and check it with the test button so that you can hear it in action. Doing those things will put your mind at ease because you’ll know you have a working warning system.
2. Avoid Leaving Cooking Food Unattended
Many house fires start in the kitchen, and the most common reason is that the homeowner leaves cooking food unattended. A world of devastation can happen when no one monitors cooking processes. Grease fires can start from popping grease falling on the heat source.
Dishrags and other items can also catch fire if you aren’t careful. For safety’s sake, you should always give cooking food your full attention and have someone else watch the oven if you need to turn away for a while. Set aside time for cooking and put all your other tasks on the back burner. It’s not worth it to risk starting a fire just to watch a television show or involve yourself with house cleaning.
3. Pay Close Attention To Cords
Frayed and chewed cords are sometimes the culprit in house fires. Sparks fly because they aren’t insulated, and then they ignite something flammable nearby. You can avoid that problem by keeping all of your cords out of the way if you have pets. Inspect them regularly and take action if you notice anything odd. Damaged cords should be replaced immediately to leave no possibility of starting a fire.
4. Keep Your Flammables Away From Heat Sources
Another common error that causes house fires is when people leave flammable items near heat sources such as lights and lamps. Preventing yourself and all your housemates from doing that one thing will help protect you from unwanted combustion.
5. Don’t Leave the Home or Room With Things Burning
You can decrease the likelihood of having a fire if you make sure you never leave a room or home unattended with a burning candle. People do it frequently and are shocked when a house fire starts.
Blow your burning candles out when you don’t need them, and turn off all heaters and similar products for your safety. Another tip is to avoid smoking in your home. That way, you’ll never fall asleep with a cigarette in your hand and risk starting a fire.
You now know the answer to, "What are basic fire safety practices?" It’s time to run with the advice and start your fire prevention processes today.