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Home Fire Safety: 8 Ways to Keep You and Your Family Safe

According to the National Fire Protection Association, $6.7 billion in damages and 2,560 deaths are caused by fires each year. That’s why it’s extremely important to be well versed in home fire safety.

What’s to know about fire safety? From preventing fires to keeping your family safe if one does happen, there’s a lot to learn. Feldco is here to make sure that your home is safe in case of a fire.

In this article, we’ll give you 8 home fire safety tips to keep you and your family safe. Let’s get started!

1. Make Sure You Have Working Smoke Alarms

When you think of home fire safety, the first thing that probably comes to mind is a working smoke alarm. Smoke alarms are the first level of defense against fires. Their loud alarm goes off whenever smoke is detected.

home fire safety

It’s extremely important to make sure that there are smoke alarms throughout your home and in high risk areas like the kitchen, bedroom and laundry room. Also, be sure all of them have fresh batteries and are working properly. Test your smoke detectors once per month to be sure everything is working well.

2. There Must Be Two Ways to Escape in Every Room

What happens if there’s a fire and your only way out is blocked? That’s not a good thing. You need to make sure all rooms have a way out. This can include doors, windows and patio doors. It just needs to be another way out.

3. Your Windows Must Be Large Enough to Fit Through

If a window is the second way out of a room, it needs to be large enough for you to fit through. If it isn’t big enough, then it can’t count as another way out of your home.

large windows to fit through

Feldco is here to help you get the perfect window for your home. We custom make our windows to be any size so if you need a window that you can fit through come to Feldco. Get a free quote now and see why over 400,000 homeowners have trusted us with their home remodeling needs.

Have an Escape Ladder for Second Story Windows

With windows that are on the second story, you’ll need a safe way out. Having an escape ladder is an important tool to guarantee you can safely get out of your home when there’s a fire. If you don’t have an escape ladder in all bedrooms of your home, we recommend you invest in some.

4. Keep a Fire Extinguisher in High Risk Areas

There are some rooms of your home that have a high risk of fires such as the kitchen or laundry room. You’ll want to have a fire extinguisher nearby in case anything happens.

If you’ve never used a fire extinguisher, it’s important that you know how to use one – you need to be prepared for anything to happen. Check out the video below that demonstrates how to use a fire extinguisher:

How to Use a Fire Extinguisher

5. Practice Proper Electronic Safety

Electronics are the cause of 9% of fires which ranks it 3rd among leading causes of home fires. That’s why it’s important to make sure you handle your wires and electronics properly. One wrong move can cause a fire.

Below, we go through three common problems homeowners do that puts their home at risk of fire.

Don’t Run Wires Under the Carpet

Wires are ugly and many homeowners try to hide them under carpets and rugs. While your home may look nicer without the wires showing, it’s a major problem with home fire safety.

When an electronic device is used, it gets warm – so does its cord.  If you have a carpet or rug covering the wires, it prevents the heat from escaping which leaves your home prone to fires.

Replace Torn or Damaged Cords

Are your cords and wires torn and frayed? Then it’s time to get them replaced. Damaged cords put your home at risk of fires. So if you see exposed wires in your cords, it’s time to get rid of it.

Plugging Too Much Into One Outlet

Another common problem is that many homeowners plug too many electronics into one outlet. With a few power strips and switches, you can end up having way too many plugs going to one outlet. Only plug in essential electronics and when you’re not using them, unplug them.

6. Clean Your Chimney, Furnace and Dryer Lint Trap

Having a fireplace is a nice luxury for any homeowner. There’s nothing more relaxing than curling up by the fire and relaxing after a long day. Did you know that if your fireplace isn’t properly cleaned, it puts you at risk for a house fire?

When you burn logs in your fire place, the soot lines the walls of your chimney. Every time you start another fire, you’re at risk of the chimney combusting.

your chimney can catch fire if not cleaned well

You can avoid this fate by cleaning your chimney regularly. There are chimney cleaning companies who will come to your home and make sure the inside of your chimney looks like it’s new.

Your furnace is another place that can cause fires. You have to replace the furnace filter every couple of months otherwise you’re at risk of starting a fire. Same can be said about cleaning your lint trap in your dryer.

7. Don’t Leave Any Cooking Food Unattended

This next tip should go without saying but some homeowners don’t do it: never leave cooking food unattended. If you’re ever using your oven or stove top, there’s a risk of a fire starting.

You want to be around in case something happens. Grease and cooking fires aren’t uncommon and if you’re near by, you can prevent it from getting out of hand. If you’re no where to be found, your kitchen will be up in flames in no time.

8. Have a Plan to Escape Your Home in Case of Fire

Preparation is the key to being safe if a fire ever starts. Make sure you sit down with your entire family and plan exit strategies if a fire was to happen.  You can even practice different escape routes if that helps you feel safer.

It’s important to teach children at a young age the importance of stop, drop and roll. It might seem silly, but it could be the difference between getting an injury or not.

Home Fire Safety is Extremely Important

Home fire safety is very important in keeping you and your family safe. Whether it’s making sure your window is large enough to fit through or cleaning your chimney, everything matters in home fire safety.

Feldco offers a wide selection of windows, doors and patio doors that can all be used as exits to your home. Not only are they practical but they look great and are energy efficient. Get a free quote now and let Feldco start on your replacement window and door projects today!

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