House fires are more common than most homeowners want to believe. These events may seem like something that only happens to other people, but it’s a very real possibility that you could experience one of these dangerous incidents. To lessen your chances of falling victim to one of these tragedies, learn how to prevent house fires and take a few preemptive measures.
Cut Down on Clutter
Clutter can pose a fire risk for a variety of reasons. To begin with, clutter is often flammable, so it can easily ignite in the right conditions. This can make the home’s environment unpredictable and hazardous. Clutter can also put you further at risk by blocking your paths out of the home. For these reasons, cleaning and decluttering the home is crucial to maintaining an optimal level of safety.
Inspect Heating Appliances
Regularly inspecting and cleaning your heaters is crucial to reducing your risk of a fire. When they’re not functioning properly, these devices can spark and cause nearby flammables to ignite. As such, you need to ensure that everything works properly. Inspect your furnace several times a year, replacing the filter and vacuuming out any dirt when necessary to keep it running efficiently. If your home has radiators, your inspection should include cleaning and caring for them to prevent potentially flammable hair and dust from building up on the interior.
Control Your Electrical Cords
Over time, your electrical cords can sustain damage that causes them to fray at the connecting points. These exposed wires can spark when connected to an outlet and potentially start a fire. Immediately replace any serrated cords and take measures to protect them from potential future damage.
Purchase a Fire Extinguisher and Maintain Detectors
If a fire does end up breaking out in your home, you want to ensure you’re properly alerted and that you have the means to respond to the threat. For small kitchen fires, having a fire extinguisher nearby is crucial to promptly putting out the flames and minimizing the potential damage to your home. In the event of a larger fire, however, your smoke detectors need to be operational in order to signal a problem. Regularly change your detectors’ batteries and check them for functionality.
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