Fire Safety Tips to Protect Your Home
by James Kilvert on May 20, 2019
Fire Safety Tips to Protect Your Home
From the time a fire breaks out, you have less than two minutes to get out safely. Be prepared and save yourself and your family from injury or death.
It’s unthinkable, the prospect of your home going up in flames and losing everything. It’s a situation that no one wants to be in. You need to be prepared, aware of how to avoid having a fire break out in the first place. There are quite a few ways in which you can secure your home, belongings, family and pets against a fire.
How to prepare to avoid a fire
The most basic step is to make sure you are practicing fire safety. This can include:
- ·never leaving the stove untended when it is on
- Lighting candles and leaving them unattended or burning overnight
- Putting drapes in the kitchen or near ignition sources
- Check power plugs are not overloaded or using excessive extension cables
- NO smoking in bed
- Making sure you have an adequate number of smoke detectors installed in all the important spaces around the house
- Regular tests every six months for smoke alarms to ensure the batteries are in working order
- A working fire extinguisher that you and other adults in the home know how to operate it should a fire break out. Test the fire extinguisher every few months, so it is in working order.
Develop an escape plan
You need to have a fire escape plan that you plan and discuss with your family or housemates. Take a walk through the entire house, one room at a time, and identify the escape routes and best exit points. Ideally, there should be two viable points of escape from every room, so that should one get blocked due to the fire, you know to head to another one.
Pick a safe meeting point where everyone in the home will gather if there is a need to escape a home fire. Children may not know what the sound of a fire alarm going off means, and it is important to educate them so they can respond appropriately in the event of a fire actually breaking out.
Have fire drills – press the smoke detector alarm button and once it is set off, you can see how long it takes, and with what speed and efficiency the household follows your escape plan and makes it to the meeting point. This is not something that only workplaces should be practicing, but a good idea for individual homes too. Teach everyone, of all ages, the emergency services numbers (post it in different spots like on the refrigerator if needed) and how to dial the number to get help.
What to do in case of a fire
First, grab that fire extinguisher and get started subsiding the blaze if it is small enough to contain. Otherwise, remember that two minutes is the timeframe within which you need to get out. Get an adult to get the children, pets and any elderly outside before you start trying to put out the fire.
Then, once everyone is safely out, get ring the fire department or local emergency services so professional help can be on the way to you as soon as possible. Just get yourself and your family out of the house – and stay out! If you live in an apartment complex, do not head to the elevator but take the stairs. Alert neighbours by shouting FIRE as you exit, banging on their doors. You never know who is taking a nap and needs to be woken up so they can get to safety.
Get out, stay out
Often, people think they have time to go back in and get that one or two or five precious things. Don’t. Your life and safety are more important, and once you exit the blaze, stay away. Gather at the pre designated safe spot that you and the rest of the family had identified.
Once there, remember to do a check to ensure that every family member (human and animal) is present.
If you are inside, the fire is spreading and there’s smoke, try to cover your nose and mouth – and if possible, use a wet cloth to do so. And go low, under the smoke and in the opposite direction of the fire itself. Close doors behind you to impede the fire’s progress, to try and suffocate it. If you find door handles hot or warm to the touch or heat and smoke emanating from behind a door, that means the fire has taken hold there and you need to find an alternate escape route.
Keep you and your family safe from fire
You need to keep yourself and your family safe at home. To protect against fire, you need to:
- ·Take precautions against fire
- ·Plan and practice an escape plan
- ·If you find a fire, get out and stay out
While there are no guarantees in life, you can make choices that make your family safer. Make changes today to ensure optimal fire prevention and make sure that your home and valuables are protected with adequate insurance cover.
Popular Articles
Three Places to Spend Money on the Exterior of Your Home
When you have the exterior of your home remodeled, you are investing, time, energy and convenience into the project and you want to make sure that...
94900 Views
Homemade Headboards-Make an Upholstered or Wooden Headboard
Homemade headboards can add a lot of personality to any bedroom. They can be coordinated with existing furniture and room decor or they can be the...
74292 Views
When to Use a Brush, Roller or Sponge Brush
Brushes are a good choice for painting trim and woodwork. They are also useful for cutting in the edges around the top and bottom edges and corners...
71742 Views
Creating a Cottage Kitchen with Bead Board
Kitchen decor can range from modern and bold to elegant and elaborate by using strategic kitchen pieces. One of the most popular decorating trends...
52733 Views
Gas Fireplace Diagnostics and Troubleshooting
Follow these steps for diagnosing and troubleshooting Gas Fireplaces repairs. For the average DIYer, this may seem intimidating, depending on the...
30574 Views
Latest Articles
10 Concrete Patio Ideas on a Budget
A concrete patio can be a game-changer for your outdoor space. It is durable, versatile, and can be customized to fit your style. But what if you...
on Mar 25, 2025
Tips for Creating a Stunning Personalized Photo on Canvas
Order the unique beauty of a personalized photo on canvas and bring your memories to life. With a customized photo on canvas, you can transform...
on Mar 7, 2025
Best Areas to Buy Property in Singapore for Long-Term Growth
Singapore's real estate market remains one of the most stable and lucrative in the world. With limited land supply, strong governmental...
on Feb 18, 2025
Troubleshooting Excess Water in Your HVAC Secondary Condensate Drain Pan
When maintaining your air conditioning system, it is easy to overlook the condensate drain pan - until excess water starts pooling in places where...
on Jan 12, 2025
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): A Beginners Guide
By combining the advantages of stock market and real estate investing, Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, offer an alluring investment...
on Dec 19, 2024
Featured Articles
What Type of Licensed Contractor Should You Hire?
on Feb 28, 2017
Hire Contractors / Estimates

Looking for a specialty project? There are many types of contractors available for your home improvement needs. Finding the right type of...
Sponsored Articles
Best Areas to Buy Property in Singapore for Long-Term Growth
on Feb 18, 2025
Real Estate / Finance

Singapore's real estate market remains one of the most stable and lucrative in the world. With limited land supply, strong governmental...
Actions
Top Categories
- Garden / Landscaping / Patio — 264
- Kitchen / Bathrooms — 240
- Real Estate / Finance — 203
- Appliance / Repair — 186
- Interior Design / Decor — 184
- HVAC / Air Conditioning — 148
- Cleaning / Maintenance — 144
- Improvements / Remodeling — 131
- Plumbing / Basements — 118
- Floors / Tile / Hardwood — 116
- Doors / Garages — 113
- Safety / Security — 113
Articles Archive
More DIY Articles
The Best Glass Garage Doors for Restaurants
Restaurants have different sizes and features. But so do garage doors. When they meet each other, they make the perfect pair for all the right...
Transform Your House with New Flooring
When you look around your home and it looks tired and out of date, can you see where the problem lies? Often, it’s not the colour on the walls, or...
Texas Local Builders Associations
Find a local builder or council, please contact the home builders' association (HBA) in your area.
The Rise of Co-Living Spaces in Asian Cities
Asia, home to 21 of the worlds 30 largest cities, is a significant player in the global economy, contributing 38% of the goods and services of the...
6 Cost-Effective Home Improvement Tips
Everyone wishes to make his/her home much more beautiful and functional. However, these days where things are getting costlier enough, one would...