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1/15/2016 (Permalink)
Home Fires
Each year more than 2,500 people die and 12,600 are injured in home fires in the United States, with direct property loss due to home fires estimated at $7.3 billion annually. Home fires can be prevented!
To protect yourself, it is important to understand the basic characteristics of fire. Fire spreads quickly; there is no time to gather valuables or make a phone call. In just two minutes, a fire can become life-threatening. In five minutes, a residence can be engulfed in flames.
Heat and smoke from fire can be more dangerous than the flames. Inhaling the super-hot air can sear your lungs. Fire produces poisonous gases that make you disoriented and drowsy. Instead of being awakened by a fire, you may fall into a deeper sleep. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a three-to-one ratio.
Every day Americans experience the horror of fire but most people don't understand fire.
Fire is FAST!
There is little time! In less than 30 seconds a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house or for it to be engulfed in flames. Most deadly fires occur in the home when people are asleep. If you wake up to a fire, you won't have time to grab valuables because fire spreads too quickly and the smoke is too thick. There is only time to escape.
Fire is HOT!
Heat is more threatening than flames. A fire's heat alone can kill. Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super-hot air will scorch your lungs. This heat can melt clothes to your skin. In five minutes, a room can get so hot that everything in it ignites at once: this is called flashover.
Fire is DARK!
Fire isn't bright, it's pitch black. Fire starts bright, but quickly produces black smoke and complete darkness. If you wake up to a fire you may be blinded, disoriented and unable to find your way around the home you've lived in for years.
Fire is DEADLY!
Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than flames do. Fire uses up the oxygen you need and produces smoke and poisonous gases that kill. Breathing even small amounts of smoke and toxic gases can make you drowsy, disoriented and short of breath. The odorless, colorless fumes can lull you into a deep sleep before the flames reach your door. You may not wake up in time to escape.
Only when we know the true nature of fire can we prepare our families and ourselves.
Recovering from a fire can be a physically and mentally draining process. When fire strikes, lives are suddenly turned around. Often, the hardest part is knowing where to begin and who to contact.
The following checklist serves as a quick reference and guide for you to follow after a fire strikes.
Contact your local disaster relief service, such as The Red Cross, if you need temporary housing, food and medicines.If you are insured, contact your insurance company for detailed instructions on protecting the property, conducting inventory and contacting fire damage restoration companies. If you are not insured, try contacting private organizations for aid and assistance.Check with the fire department to make sure your residence is safe to enter. Be watchful of any structural damage caused by the fire.The fire department should see that utilities are either safe to use or are disconnected before they leave the site. DO NOT attempt to reconnect utilities yourself.Conduct an inventory of damaged property and items. Do not throw away any damaged goods until after an inventory is made.Try to locate valuable documents and records. Refer to information on contacts and the replacement process inside this brochure.If you leave your home, contact the local police department to let them know the site will be unoccupied.Begin saving receipts for any money you spend related to fire loss. The receipts may be needed later by the insurance company and for verifying losses claimed on income tax.Notify your mortgage company of the fire.Check with an accountant or the Internal Revenue Service about special benefits for people recovering from fire loss.For more information on what you should do after a home fire, including valuing your property, replacing documents, and salvage hints, visit the U.S. Fire Administration’s website.
Most home fires occur in the kitchen while cooking and are the leading cause of injuries from fire. Common causes of fires at night are carelessly discarded cigarettes, sparks from fireplaces without spark screens or glass doors, and heating appliances left too close to furniture or other combustibles. These fires can be particularly dangerous because they may smolder for a long period before being discovered by sleeping residents.
Home fires are preventable! The following are simple steps that each of us can take to prevent a tragedy.
Cooking
Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.Do not cook if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a "kid-free zone" of 3 feet around the stove.Position barbecue grills at least 10 feet away from siding and deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.Smoking
If you smoke, smoke outside. Most home fires caused by smoking materials start inside the home. Put your cigarettes out in a can filled with sand.Make sure cigarettes and ashes are out. The cigarette really needs to be completely stubbed out in an ashtray. Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away. Never toss hot cigarette butts or ashes in the trash can.Check for cigarette butts. Chairs and sofas catch on fire fast and burn fast. Don't put ashtrays on them. If people have been smoking in the home, check for cigarettes under cushions.Never smoke in a home where oxygen is used, even if it is turned off. Oxygen can be explosive and makes fire burn hotter and faster.Be alert - don’t smoke in bed! If you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy, put your cigarette out first.Electrical and Appliance Safety
Frayed wires can cause fires. Replace all worn, old or damaged appliance cords immediately and do not run cords under rugs or furniture.Buy electrical products evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).If an appliance has a three-prong plug, use it only in a three-slot outlet. Never force it to fit into a two-slot outlet or extension cord.Use electrical extension cords wisely; never overload extension cords or wall sockets.Immediately shut off, then professionally replace, light switches that are hot to the touch and lights that flicker.Portable Space Heaters
Keep combustible objects at least three feet away from portable heating devices.Buy only heaters evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).Check to make the portable heater has a thermostat control mechanism, and will switch off automatically if the heater falls over.Check with your local fire department on the legality of kerosene heater use in your community.Only use crystal clear K-1 kerosene in kerosene heaters. Never overfill it. Use the heater in a well-ventilated room.Fireplaces and Woodstoves
Inspect and clean woodstove pipes and chimneys annually and check monthly for damage or obstructions.Never burn trash, paper, or green wood.Use a fireplace screen heavy enough to stop rolling logs and big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch flying sparks.Make sure the fire is completely out before leaving the house or going to bed.Store cooled ashes in a tightly sealed metal container outside the home.Children
Take the mystery out of fire play by teaching children that fire is a tool, not a toy.Store matches and lighters out of children's reach and sight, preferably in a locked cabinet.Teach children not to pick up matches or lighters they may find. Instead, they should tell an adult immediately.Never leave children unattended near operating stoves or burning candles, even for a short time.Check under beds and in closets for burned matches, evidence your child may be playing with fire.More Prevention Tips
Avoid using lighted candles.Never use the range or oven to heat your home.Replace mattresses made before the 2007 Federal Mattress Flammability Standard. Mattresses made since then are required by law to be safer.Keep combustible and flammable liquids away from heat sources.Portable generators should NEVER be used indoors and should only be refueled outdoors or in well ventilated areas.
Content Credit: www.ready.gov/home-firesPhoto Credit: www.facebook.com
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