Fire incidences within the home have been on the rise over the past couple of years. Lots of lives and property have been lost in the process and this is a clear indication that most families are not observing the preventive measures. How do you protect your home from a fire? In this article, we’ll discuss home fire safety and protection tips that are critical for your family’s safety.

Even though most fire accidents occur as a result of accidents, this does not mean they are unavoidable. Such occurrences can be prevented from happening especially if you are knowledgeable about the measures that are supposed to be applied within the home. The most effective way of reducing the chances of there being a fire is through minimizing or getting rid of the dangerous situations.

Here are 9 home fire safety and protection tips to help keep your family safe:

1. All electronic devices that are not being used should be turned off. Leaving electronic devices on stand-by mode consumes minimal energy but the appliances increase the risk of a fire occurring. Such appliances should also be checked on a regular basis and service done on them frequently to keep them in tip top condition. Faulty electrical gadgets are likely to cause serious fire accidents. Therefore, your appliances should never be ignored if you want your home to be free from fire accidents.
2. Make it a habit of checking your gas tanks to ensure there are no leakages. Additional care needs to be taken when the tanks are being replaced. In addition, make sure the regulator is properly secured. Any small gas leakage can cause a bad fire accident.
3. It is also a good idea to take members of the family to the nearest fire department where they can be taught fire safety tips that you probably never knew about.
4. Your family should learn how to use the different escape routes. At the very least, have three exit plans just in case all the exits are not accessible when there is a fire. A ladder made of rope should be kept on the upper floors as they will make the trip down easy. Furthermore, you make sure your family members know the importance of crawling to prevent smoke inhalation during a fire. Doors should also be felt for heat prior to opening.
5. You should consider having fire suppression systems within your home as well since these devices are designed to keep fire damage minimal or prevent it altogether. There are very many options currently available and it is important to select the one that will work best in your particular situation. Wet agent kitchen suppression systems are recommended for residential kitchens and similar kitchens in light commercial occupancies, such as dormitories, group homes, break rooms, day care centers, civic group meeting halls, etc. When the right fire suppression system is purchased, your family members and your facility will be protected in case of a fire. Bear in mind that fitting the right one requires expertise and only trained professionals should be called in to carry out the installation. Appliance specific models are designed to be stationary while the nozzles are pointed at the appliance that needs protecting. Such solutions offer effective protection under all circumstances.
6. Installing smoke detectors and fire alarms is highly advisable since these devices give you an early warning. For optimal smoke detection, the detectors should ideally be installed in every single bedroom, basement, hallways, the attic and the kitchen. The systems should also be checked and tested at least twice every year if you want to maintain home fire safety.
7. Fire extinguishers are vital if you want to practice home fire safety. They are the most effective for putting out fires. Never pour plain water on burning materials because it will only increase the flames due to oxygen present in the water. Fire extinguishers offer a quick solution before the fire department arrives. Most importantly, make sure you use the right extinguisher for the fire it is meant for considering there are different types of fires.
8. Before you try to extinguish a serious fire, call your emergency line (911 in North America) so your local fire department will come out to help. If you wait to determine if you will be able to extinguish the fire by yourself, you risk the fire getting out of your control and causing more damage than necessary.
9. As former U.S. President Harry S. Truman said, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Of course, he used this phrase in other contexts but the meaning applies here. If the fire gets to the point you can’t deal with it, don’t try to be a hero and jeopardize your life in the process. Get out of your house or residence and leave the fire fighting to the professionals.

As a general rule, the most effective defense particularly with regard to fires entails preventing it from occurring altogether. To ensure home fire safety, all members in your household should be taught about the different types of fires and how to use fire extinguishers and how the kitchen fire suppression system works. This way, your entire family will be fully prepared to deal with any fire within the house.