House fires are devastating. They can leave families without homes and sadly sometimes loved ones. No matter how hard you try to prevent them, they are a common problem. However, there are things you can do to protect yourself incase of one of these emergencies. Start by making sure you have smoke detectors installed on every level of your home. Also, make sure your fireplace and chimney is safe. Creosotes are leading causes to chimney fires so make sure you have your yearly chimney sweep and inspection administered. Blue Sky Chimney Sweeps is a group of professional technicians certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) that can help you with chimney problems that may arise in your home.
No one can guarantee 100% safety when it comes to fire and your home. The best you can do is to minimize risks and educate your family.
A fire escape plan is also one of the most important things you can have prepared for your home. If you have children or elderly people in your household, it is important to practice the routine to make sure that they remember and can safely exit the home. This will help decide if any changes need to be made. Make sure for every room there are two exits incase the door is blocked by fire. It is important to touch the door and not the knob because the knob conducts more heat, allowing it to burn you when it is touched. This could mean the fire is right on the other side of the door. Make sure everyone in the home knows how and can open all windows, as they are usually one of the best ways to escape the home. The National Fire Protection Association provides an excellent resource for families.
Once everyone is out of the home, they need to know where to go. The best place is a tree or some other lace far enough from the home that if the fire spread you would not be affected. Have the first person outside of the home call the fire department. This is important because in an emergency you have no time to waste finding a phone and calling and then escaping. Once you exit the home, do not reenter, as it is hard to see who still needs to be rescued. While it is a firefighters job to rescue the family, it is better to not have to send them into the home to get endangered as well. Having routine drills and knowing safety precautions can help you in an emergency later.