In the Situation of a Fire - Prepare and Plan Ahead

When it comes to hard scenarios, there few events as taxing than a fire that damages your residence and personal belongings. As a fire damage repair company, Paul Davis knows what a dangerous threat house fires are. Without indication, all it takes is a couple of minutes before flames are ignited. A fire in your house is a terrible and emotionally exhausting situation, whether it destroys everything or not. However, you can prepare specific things to ensure that you are ready for when a fire occurs.

The Emphasis of Emergency Strategies

All house fires aren't stoppable and you can only do so much. That's why the most effective thing for you to do is have safety strategies ready. Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are a must, and make sure you have the correct number to accommodate your property. However, you should think about installing smoke alarms that can catch smoke from fires caused by electricity, because faulty wiring is one of the main causes of house fires. If there are kids in the house, you'll want to instruct them on how the smoke alarm sounds and what to do when in the situation where one goes off. Some other precautions include planning fire escape routes in your house. Create a strategy and ensure everybody in the house knows the fire escape routes – there needs to be two exits for each room in the house. It's also important to have a designated meeting spot outside so you know who gets out of the house. Something else you need to do is protect your valuable items like birth certificates, passports and photographs. You can create digital copies and place them into cloud storage for safe keeping, and you can purchase a fire safe box to keep the hard copies secure too. Lastly, make a record of all your personal possessions for insurance reasons in case they're consumed by the flames.

What to Keep in Mind to Lessen Home Fire Risk

Here are some things to recognize so you can decrease the hazards and risks that are correlated with house fires:

  • Smoking: Cigars and cigarettes are extreme fire risks, and taking your smoking outside is the perfect method to avoid a house fire. If you smoke inside, make sure you have deep ashtrays and that you never smoke in bed or while you're drowsy. Additionally, not under any circumstance should you smoke inside if someone in the house is using oxygen as this is very combustible.
  • Children: Store any lighters or matches in an area that is out of sight and out of reach from kids to prevent their inquisitive nature from lighting a fire. Explain to your kids that fire is not a toy too.
  • Fireplaces: Creosote is extremely flammable and it forms in your fireplace and chimney after it's been used, so always get your fireplace cleaned regularly. Having a large, strong screen is also critical to avoid sparks from flying into the room and log rollovers.
  • Portable Heaters: Guarantee your space heater has a control mechanism and a thermostat, and it needs to turn off if the heater falls over.
  • Appliances and Electrical: Do a periodic check on your electrical appliances and ensure the plugs and cords are in good condition. Also, when switches for your lights are hot to the touch, then it's time to switch them out.
  • Cooking: The kitchen is one of the most susceptible places for a fire to happen. It's essential to be attentive to what's in the oven or on the stove, and if you need to step out, have somebody watch over it until you return.

Reach Out to the Experienced Fire Damage Repair Technicians from Paul Davis

Reach out to the expert fire damage repair team from Paul Davis right away if your house has had a fire. Our skillful contractors can re-mediate any fire damage and have your home back in good condition. For a franchise near your area, get in touch with us at 888-473-7669.