In the Case of a Fire - Plan Ahead and Prepare

The fire damage repair professionals from Paul Davis know how severe home fires are. Not only can home fires eradicate your property and personal belongings, but they are emotionally disconcerting and make you feel insecure. Fires can happen in a matter of minutes and can be caused by lots of things, and they can be out of your control like natural disasters or your neighbor's house being on fire. However, there are some precautions you can take to minimize the risk of a home fire in your home.

The Value of Emergency Strategies

Safety should be the number one priority when prepping for a home fire, and fire extinguishers and smoke alarms need to be located throughout the home. Smoke alarms are fundamental because a fire can spring out of the blue and you need to take action as fast as possible. Another thing to think about with smoke alarms is obtaining ones that can identify smoke caused from electrical fires. Finally, any children living in the home need to be instructed on what a smoke alarm sounds like when it's triggered and what to do when it occurs. Other precautions consist of planning out fire escape routes in your home. Create a strategy and ensure everyone in the home knows the emergency fire escape routes – there should be two exits for each room in the home. Also, it's essential to have a designated meeting spot outside so you know who gets out of the home. Another thing you need to do is secure your valuable items like passports, photographs and birth certificates. You can create digital replicas and place them into a cloud drive as a backup, and you can purchase a fire safe box to keep the hard copies safe as well. Finally, make a record of all your personal belongings for insurance reasons in the event they're engulfed by the flames.

To Decrease the Hazards of a Fire in Your Home Implement These Measures

While some fires aren't preventable, there are some things you can do to minimize the prospect of a fire from developing in your home:

  • Cooking: It's important to be conscientious in the kitchen and to not leave food being cooked unattended. Always have someone there to monitor what's going on.
  • Appliances and Electrical: Frayed cords and damaged plugs could easily produce a home fire, so be sure to check your appliances regularly for any problems. Additionally, keep an eye on the switches for your lights because if they're hot, they need to be changed.
  • Portable Heaters: It's critical to keep any combustible or flammable objects at least three feet from a space heater. You'll also want your heater to have a control mechanism as well as other features for safety such as turning off when the heater falls over.
  • Fireplaces: Creosote is extremely flammable and it forms in your fireplace and chimney after it's been used, so always get your fireplace cleaned and maintained consistently. Getting a big, sturdy screen is also fundamental to avoid sparks from coming into the room and rolling logs.
  • Children: Children are curious and fire is fascinating for them, so instruct your kids that fire isn't something to play with. Also, keep matches and lighters in a spot that is out of sight and out of reach.
  • Smoking: Smoking outside is the finest approach to avoid a home fire from occurring. It's very important to not smoke indoors if someone in the home is using oxygen because oxygen is highly combustible. When you smoke indoors, don't smoke in bed and while drowsy and have ashtrays with tall walls.

Get in Touch with the Experienced Fire Damage Repair Technicians from Paul Davis

Immediately get in touch with the expert fire damage restoration team from Paul Davis if your residence has had a fire. Our professional technicians can restore any fire damage and get your home back in good condition. For a franchise near your area, give us a call at 888-473-7669.