How to Protect Your Home from a Fire
October 19th, 2015 | Comments (0)
October is National Fire Prevention Month, reminding all homeowners to look around their house and ensure no fire hazards have emerged over the last few months. Not only are the Wheeler Brothers your contractors of choice, but they’re also your local firemen. We’ve put together a few guidelines that will help prevent fires and protect your family if a fire does occur.
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- Unplug small appliances and electronics
Any appliance or electronic that doesn’t need to be consistently powered on in order to operate should be unplugged and turned off. This includes toasters, blenders, and laptop comptuters as well as your ceiling fans. Ceiling fans have a small motor that, if left on, can spark a fire. Turn off your ceiling fans when you’re not in the room and unplug all your unused appliances.
- Never leave laptops on flammable objects
Ever notice how hot your laptop gets while it’s running? If left resting on a flammable surface, such as a couch or bed, the heat produced from the laptop can react with the flammable surface and cause a major fire. Be sure to move laptops to a hard surface before leaving the room or falling asleep. - Clean your dryer vent regularly
If you look closely at your dryer vent, you’ll see it says to clean lint after every use. Dryer lint is highly combustible and can be used as a fire starter in controlled, outdoor fires. - Turn off your space heaters
As we enter the colder months of the year you may find yourself pulling out your space heater sooner than later. Remember that space heaters must be kept at least three feet away from anything flammable, and always turn them off when leaving the room or going to bed. - Don’t overload an electrical outlet
Be careful with how much you are asking of your outlets. Pay attention to what you’re plugging into each outlet and be sure to never plug multiple items into one outlet. Check the wires on your devices to ensure they are in proper working order.
- Remove extension cords
Convenient? Yes. Extension cords allow us to connect items to outlets across the room, but they can also over heat and short circuit, causing a fire. To prevent this, never use an extension cord on a permanent basis, avoid running them under rugs, and never overload them. - Test your smoke alarms
A smoke alarm belongs on every level of your home and should be checked on a monthly basis. Never remove a fire alarm, even if it is beep incessantly. Replace the batteries and make sure your fire alarms are in good working order. They are your first line of defense in getting your family out safely.
