The Value of Preparing for House Fires – How to Plan & Prepare

The fire damage restoration experts at Paul Davis understand how damaging home fires are. Not only can home fires destroy your property and personal possessions, but they are emotionally unsettling and make you feel insecure. Fires can occur without a moment’s notice and can be provoked by a number of variables, and they can be out of your control such as your neighbor’s house being on fire or natural disasters. Yet, there are still a few steps you can implement to minimize the risk of a home fire in your home.

The Significance of Emergency Plans

One of the more crucial things you can do to prepare for a home fire is to have safety rules in place. Because not all fires are avoidable, being safe is necessary. All properties need the right amount of fire extinguishers and smoke alarms placed throughout the property. You should also think about obtaining smoke alarms that detect smoke that is generated by electrical fires because faulty wiring is one of the primary causes of home fires. Kids in the home should be taught how a smoke alarm sounds when it’s triggered and what to do when this happens.

Come up with emergency plans for fire routes and make sure everybody knows about them. Always have two exits from all rooms in the home. Also, you’ll need to have a planned meeting area outside of the home so that you know everybody makes it out safely.

Something else you should do is secure your valuable things such as passports, photographs and birth certificates. You could make digital replicas and store them into cloud storage as a backup, and you can get a strong box to keep the hard copies secure as well. Lastly, make a record of all your personal possessions for insurance purposes in the event they’re burned up by the flames.

To Decrease the Chances of House Fires Implement These Measures

There are a few aspects to keep in mind so you can lessen the hazards and perils that are typically correlated with home fires:

  • Cooking: It’s crucial to be conscientious in the kitchen and to not leave food being cooked unattended. Without exception have somebody there to watch what’s going on.
  • Appliances and Electrical: Examine the switches for your lights to see if they have to be replaced. If you touch them and they’re hot, that’s a clue that they’re defective. In addition, check your electrical appliances for worn out cords and damaged plugs.
  • Portable Heaters: It is critical to relocate any combustible items at least three feet away from a space heater. {In addition,} you will need your space heater to have a control mechanism as well as other safety features such as shutting off if it falls over.
  • Fireplaces: It’s necessary to clean routinely and inspect your fireplace for creosote and other damage. Use a fireplace screen that is durable and big enough to prevent logs from rolling and catch sparks.
  • Children: Kids are inquisitive and fire is fascinating for them, so educate your children that fire is not something to play with. In addition, store lighters and matches in a secure location that is out of reach and out of sight.
  • Smoking: Cigars and cigarettes are serious fire hazards, and smoking outside is the best approach to prevent a home fire. If you smoke indoors, make sure you have ashtrays with deep walls and that you never smoke in bed or while you’re lethargic. In addition, never smoke indoors if someone in the home is on oxygen because this is very combustible.

Reach Out to the Fire Damage Restoration Contractors at Paul Davis

Get in touch with the expert fire damage restoration team from Paul Davis right away if your home has had a fire. Our professional technicians can restore any fire damage and have your house back in good condition. For a Paul Davis franchise near you, call us at 888-473-7669.