What have you done for fire prevention?

Fire prevention may sound silly, but in reality, many homeowners forget to check up on and secure things and then lose their homes to the flames.

Because we know how important the home is to each of us and how getting it inspected may be a bit expensive, there are ways to do this at home by yourself and not have to spend money on it.

Fire prevention should be an important part of your life and routine since all these tips that we have gathered for you are going to help you keep both your family and home out of harm’s way.

They are not hard to do or remember, so if you are ready to incorporate more fire prevention into your life and remember some tips, make sure you keep on reading.

Have you ever thought about fire prevention? Were you ever involved with a house fire? Did you or a loved one experience one? Share your story in the comments!

Make sure to check on your appliances

Electrical appliances are one of the most common ways in which house fires are started. This means that you should make a point of checking your electrical appliances to see if they are in good condition.

You can make it part of your cleaning routine to check some appliances from time to time, or just set a date when you give all your electrical appliances a check to make sure that the wires are all still in peak or great shape.

You will have to check most of your appliances, but especially the ones that are used most frequently and often, and make sure that you check for any worn or frayed cords; if that is the case, then you will have to get them replaced or see if you have to change the appliance altogether.

One thing is for sure: you cannot leave any electrical appliances with faulty chords, as it takes a few seconds for a spark to ignore the home.

Pay attention to wattage

You may not pay much attention to wattage, but in the end, it is going to determine whether or not you are accidentally causing a fire. Let us explain!

If you install a light bulb into a fixture or a lamp that has a higher wattage than required, it can cause it to overheat and end up causing a fire. It is not a given, but do you truly want to risk it?

This is why you should always check to see both the wattage on your light bulbs and also on your appliances. Never use 75-watt bulbs in fixtures that only take 60-watt bulbs.

It may seem like nothing will happen, but it can easily cause the whole fixture to overheat and then cause a fire.

In order to make sure you’re following the golden rules of fire prevention, ensure you only use the recommended wattage.

Know where the off button is

Generally speaking, if you want to be on the side of fire prevention, you should make sure you do not leave home with too many appliances plugged in. What’s more, you should try to not leave any of them plugged in and not supervised for too long.

A lot of us have become complacent in the last couple of years since a lot of appliances that need to be turned off have gotten down the route of automatic shut-off time, but that is not the case for all.

You should not rely only on such features, since between 2007 and 2012, about 15 million appliances were recalled due to defects that could start a house fire. Out of all of them, 2,000 started fires, and some could have been avoided if they were turned off.

What’s more, in the same period, 69,000 fires were caused by appliances that were not recalled! So if you are worried when you leave home that you forgot something running that shouldn’t have been, you are right to worry.

You should make sure you check that everything is turned off before you leave and that you know where the off switch is on most appliances.

If you are still worried, you can always invest in smart plugs! They will connect to your phone or tablet, and you can easily use them to power off what is inside them without too much hassle from everywhere, as long as you have access to the internet.

These are the smart plugs that we have been using if you are interested in giving them a try.

Pay extra attention if you are a smoker

If you or a loved one who lives with you is a smoker, make sure you adhere to some strict rules to rule out any chances of accidentally starting a fire.

Never even consider smoking in bed. It may seem like something easy to remember, and most people know this, but unfortunately, it is still one of the largest causes of house fires!

What’s worse is that research shows that one person a day ends up losing their life to a house fire started by smoking-related items in the household!

So keep in mind that any smoker in your home needs to be careful, and this includes the ones who smoke pipes or cigars too.

Remind them that smoking is best suited for the outdoors, and even there, make sure you have a spot where smoking material can be completely put out, be it by putting things off in a container with water or sand. It’s safer that way.

Learn to use the fire extinguisher

If you want to make sure you can deal with any sort of fire prevention, you should not only have a fire extinguisher in your home but also learn how to use it.

It may seem a bit excessive, but having one on hand is a great way to prevent any accidental small fire from becoming a fully blown one.

The best spots for them are in the kitchen or near an exit. Sure, it may seem like it will ruin your home decor and aesthetic, but sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry. Not to mention, you can find creative ways to make it seem more appealing.

Learn how to use the fire extinguisher and be prepared to know when to use it and when not to. You can get directions from the shop where you are getting it or by going to your local fire department too.

Ensure your family also knows how to use it, and the best way to remember the steps is by following the acronym PASS. The letters stand for:

Pull on the safety pin.

Aim the nozzle low (generally at the base of the fire, if you can);

Squeeze the lever steadily and slowly so as to not scare yourself or accidentally let go due to the pressure.

Sweep the nozzle from side to side to make sure you get all the flames out.

Don’t overheat spaces

It may come as a surprise to some, but most electrical fires start in the winter months. This is mainly caused by the increased usage of heating appliances and, at times, the negligence of checking up on them or letting them overheat.

This type of fire is very common, and the best way to prevent it is to check on the heater carefully and often, especially if you have a space heater.

If it is an older appliance, consider if you need to replace it, and if it is not there, check it for any fraying cords or bare wires, replacing them if you ever find them.

Likewise, make sure that your heat sources are away from any combustible material; do not keep any blankets or curtains close to them, and avoid putting clothes too near them (including if you are eating the clothes).

Likewise, fire prevention experts recommend keeping heat sources at a distance from furniture to not accidentally cause any fires.

Fires are just one of the issues that you may have to deal with around the house. As a homeowner, fire prevention is extremely important, but there are other issues to keep in mind, along with how you can fix them. If you are worried about leaks, make sure you check out this article here!