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15 Ways to Make Your Home Safe From Fires
by Heather Diodati
Home fires claim thousands of lives, injure tens of thousands and
cause billions of dollars worth of damage. According to the U.S.
Fire Administration, rural homeowners are more than twice as
likely to lose their lives in a fire than those in cities or
suburbs. By using some of the following precautions, you can
help to protect your home, yourself and your loved ones from
possible danger from fire.
1- Make sure to keep a charged 5 lb. Fire extinguisher in
your kitchen. Failing that, keep baking soda or salt on hand.
These are natural fire extinguishers. However, be aware that it
takes quite a lot of one or the other to extinguish a fire. For
a grease fire in a frying pan, a large-enough pot lid placed on
top will deprive the flames of oxygen and smother them.
2- Never force-open your self-cleaning oven door before it
has unlocked by itself. The extremely high heat inside the oven
during the cleaning process is very dangerous.
3- Ashes thrown out in a cardboard box could re-ignite.
Store cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container outside
of your home.
4- Store all flammables (i.e. Gas, turpentine, paints,
propane, etc.- in an outdoor shed.
5- Be careful with cleaning supplies. Certain products when
mixed together can be lethal. For example, chlorine and bleach
mixed together can explode.
6- Chlorine is highly flammable and must be stored outside.
7- Gas-soaked rags should never be crumpled up and tossed in
a corner or in a cardboard box or thrown out with paper,
cardboard, etc. The gas will heat up instead of evaporating
causing the rag to ignite. Air the rags outside by laying them
flat so the gas can evaporate.
8- Never clean anything with gas or turpentine inside your
home. Gas vapors are heavier than air and will settle near the
floor. Any spark can trigger an explosion or flame, for example,
a spark from a hot water heater or furnace.
9- Keep furnaces and gas water heaters clear of piled-up
boxes or any other combustibles.
10- Keep baseboard and electric space heaters free of
hanging curtains and by all means avoid using them to dry such
items as mittens and socks.
11- Have your chimney cleaned each year to prevent creosote
build-up and inspect it frequently for obstructions and damage.
12- Test your smoke detector batteries regularly.
13- Don't overload your electrical outlets and never run
extensions under a carpet.
14- Never replace a burnt fuse with a penny.
15- Finally, plan and practice an escape route with your
family and agree upon a round-up area to make sure everyone is
accounted for during an emergency.
Heather Diodati, owner of DDesign, is the creator/distributor of
the Pet Computer Virus, a novelty designed for the computer user;
as well as other unique computer novelties; and Whimsies!
Personalized Cartoon Designs for all occasions. Sign up for our
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