What to Do to Prepare for a Home Fire? – Fire Damage Restoration

As far as destructive disasters go there aren’t many incidents as stunning as a fire that destroys your home and possessions. A fire in your property is a harrowing and an emotionally exhausting situation, whether it damages everything or not. But there are some precautions you can take to decrease the odds of a fire from happening in your house. The fire damage restoration team at Paul Davis understands the serious situation of home fires and that’s why it’s vital to know how to plan and prepare your home and what to do when a fire happens.

Preparation for Home Fire – Fire Escape Plans & Property Recovery

Safety should be the first concern when getting ready for a home fire, and smoke alarms and fire extinguishers should be located throughout the home. Smoke alarms are crucial because a fire could come out of nowhere and you have to take action as fast as possible. Something else to consider with smoke alarms is getting ones that can identify smoke generated from electrical fires. Lastly, any kids residing in the home have to be taught about what a smoke alarm sounds like when it goes off and what to do when it happens.

Next, have your fire escape program ready. Every member in the home should know two ways to escape from each room and where to gather outside when a fire happens. Also, make sure that everyone knows how to call 911 in the case of an emergency.

Taking inventory of your personal possessions is an excellent idea for insurance purposes in case all your property is destroyed by the flames. You’ll also want to keep valuable things such as birth certificates and passports in a fire safe box, and you can make digital copies and upload them to a cloud drive for back ups.

To Decrease the Risks of Home Fires Perform These Steps

Here are a few aspects to be aware of so you can minimize the dangers and risks that are typically associated with home fires:

  • Fireplaces: Creosote is highly flammable and it develops in your fireplace and chimney after it’s been in use, so make sure to get your fireplace cleaned and maintained regularly. Getting a big, durable screen is also critical to avoid sparks from coming into the room and rolling logs.
  • Portable Heaters: Not under any condition should you allow a portable space heater unattended, and keep flammable items three feet away from the heater. It’s also critical for your space heater to contain the correct features for safety. For example, it shutting off when it falls over.
  • Smoking: Cigarettes and cigars are severe fire perils, and taking your smoking outside is the best approach to avoid a home fire. If you smoke indoors, see that you have deep ashtrays and that under any situation you don’t smoke in bed or while you’re lethargic. Additionally, never smoke indoors when someone in the home is on oxygen as this is extremely combustible.
  • Children: Store any lighters or matches in a place that is out of sight and out of reach from children to avoid their curiosity from lighting a fire. Teach your children that fire is not something to play with too.
  • Cooking: It’s essential to be observant in the kitchen and to not ignore cooking food unattended. Without exception have someone there to watch what’s going on.
  • Appliances and Electrical: Test the switches for your lights to see if they have to be changed out. If they’re hot to the touch, that’s a clue that they’re defective. Another thing you should do is examine your appliances for worn out cords and defective plugs.

Call the Fire Damage Restoration Contractors at Paul Davis

Home fires happen, whether it’s an accident or something completely out of your control, Paul Davis is here to lend a helping hand. Our fire damage restoration services can restore your home back to normal again. Get in touch with us at 888-473-7669 and a franchise in your location will be there for you.