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Residential Fire Readiness
9/8/2021 (Permalink)
Residential Fire Readiness
Ever wonder what the chances of your home catching fire actually are? Well, according to the United States Fire Administration, it depends on how well you are at cooking! Yes, we said cooking. According to the USFA, 51.6% of residential fires come from cooking. Generally, this is a grease fire, and once a flame emits from grease running down onto an eye on the stove, someone incorrectly tries to put it out with water. The other causes are Heating (9.1%), Unintentional/Carelessness (7.1) and Electrical 6.5%. So, while there are other reasons, most fires do begin in the kitchen. Let’s discuss a few tips in the event the bacon decides to catch fire one Saturday morning while you are cooking breakfast.
- Get everyone out of the house (remember, have everyone assemble at a rally point).
- Contact 9-1-1.
- If the fire is contained to the pan/pot, cover the container with a lid (not a plastic lid).
- If possible, shut off the heat source. This will not immediately put an end to the flame, but it will help in the continued fueling of heat from the source. You will still have to contend with the fire already started.
- If small enough, pour generous amounts of salt and/or baking soda on the flames.
- If available, use a Class B fire extinguisher. These are readily available for purchase at any local Lowe’s, Walmart or other home store.
- DO NOT use water on an oil-based fire. This will cause the oil to splatter, expanding the flames rapidly which will likely result in your home being consumed in flames before the emergency responders can arrive.
It is also recommended that you do not place fire extinguishers in the kitchen, but rather, just outside the kitchen. In the event your kitchen catches fire, you will need to access the extinguisher, and if your kitchen is engulfed in flames, it could render getting to the extinguisher next to impossible. Do what you can with what you have, but most certainly do not put yourself or others in harms way. You and your family’s safety are the most crucial element to dealing with a fire. Educate everyone in the home on the plan in the event a fire breaks out. Make sure they know how to safely exit the home, what to do and not to do, and where to meet up once safely outside of the home. Everyone, down to the youngest child, should be familiar with it.
Should you experience fire damage, contact SERVPRO of LBL South to come inspect the residence and begin work on restoring it “Like it never even happened.”
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