Portland Fire Alarm

Next in our series of common fire hazards is the appliances in your home. Did you know that heating equipment (like space heaters) are involved in 1 of every 6 home fires? Appliances are safe when used correctly, so here are some fire hazards to look out for:

• Keep everything that gives off heat at least 3 feet away from flammable materials or items.
• Don’t plug more than one heating appliance into the same outlet.
• Keep portable gas generators outside and away from windows to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
• If you have a fireplace, be sure to have your chimney checked and cleaned once a year by a professional.
• Don’t leave fires (or candles) burning or heating appliances plugged in while you’re asleep, in another room, or when you’re not home.
• Clean the lint screen every time you use your dryer. Dryers are responsible for about 9 out of 10 appliance fires.

Fires are common and can start at any time. Do you know the different fire hazards and things to watch for in your home? In our next few blog posts, we will cover fire hazards that you will want to watch for.

Most residential fires start in the kitchen, while cooking. The following things should help prevent kitchen fires:

• Be sure to stay in the kitchen when cooking, grilling, or frying anything.

• Don’t have curtains, paper towels dispensers, or towel racks sitting too close to the burners.

• If you don’t have a built-in microwave, make sure that there is no clutter around it and that the vents are not covered.

• Have a fire extinguisher close and within easy reach in case of a fire.

• Don’t put water on a grease fire if you don’t have an extinguisher! If a fire starts in a pan, then cover the pan with a lid to suffocate the flames.

What is a grease fire and what do I do to put it out?

One of the most common types of household fires are grease fires. Cooking causes 160,000 home structure fires annually and two-thirds started with the ignition of food or other cooking materials, often ignited by grease. What’s the difference between a grease fire and an apartment fire?

Thirty seconds.

P/C State Farm

It only takes 30 seconds for a grease fire to get out of control beyond the point of being put out with a fire extinguisher. Because there is such a short amount of time for you to act and put out a grease fire, you’ll want to know exactly what to do and what not to do so you can react quickly.

If a grease fire starts:

1. Cover the flames with a metal lid or cookie sheet. Leave the cover on until it has cooled.

2. Turn off the heat source.

3. If it’s small and manageable, pour baking soda or salt on it to smother the fire. (Do not use similar items such as flour or baking powder as they are not the same chemical makeup and will make the fire worse.)

4. As a last resort, spray the fire with a Class B dry chemical fire extinguisher.

5. Do not try to extinguish the fire with water. (Because water and oil don’t mix, it splashes the grease around and often makes things worse.)

6. Do not attempt to move the pot or pan outside.

7. If your cabinets are on fire, get out and call 911.

Teaching children what to do in the case of a fire is important so they can be safe and know how they can get out of the house or apartment. If you have younger children and infants, designate someone to get them out safely. You’ll also want to have a back up plan for small children just in case the primary person is overcome by smoke and can’t reach them.

For children that are old enough to get out safely, teach them…

1. What a fire alarm sounds like and what to do when they hear it.

2. Your fire escape plan. Make sure they know two exits out of every room.

3. To “get low and go” so they don’t breathe a lot of smoke.

4. To feel the door, door knobs, and cracks to see if they are too hot.

5. Where they should meet you outside of your house.

6. If they can’t get out, to cover the door cracks and vents and to signal out of their window with a flashlight or something white.

Once you have a fire escape plan, be sure to practice it with your children. You can make it a fun activity and time them and try to get faster and faster each time. You’ll want your kids to know what to do so they can do it quickly because fire is fast. In just two minutes, a fire can be life-threatening. Review what to do with your family often. For example, it can be a quick activity that you do on the first Sunday of each month to make sure everyone still remembers what to do and where to meet. And don’t forget to make new plans if you move into a new house or if it is necessary for any other reason.