Plan & Prepare for a Home Fire – Guidance from Fire Damage Repair Experts

As far as cataclysmic accidents go there aren’t many situations as stunning as a fire that damages your home and possessions. A fire in your home is a distressing and an emotionally draining situation, whether it consumes everything or not. But there are certain measures you can take to decrease the odds of a fire from happening in your residence. The fire damage repair team at Paul Davis understands the severe condition of home fires and that’s why it’s essential to know how to prepare your home and what to do when a fire occurs.

Process and Implement a Fire Escape Plan

Safety should be the number one priority when prepping for a home fire, and smoke alarms and fire extinguishers should be placed throughout the property. Smoke alarms are crucial because a fire could come out of the blue and you need to do something as fast as possible. Something else to consider with smoke alarms is purchasing ones that can recognize smoke generated by electrical fires. Finally, any kids residing in the home need to be taught about what a smoke alarm sounds like when it‘s triggered and what to do when it occurs.

Then have your emergency routes in place. Every member in the property needs to know two ways to get out from every room and where to congregate outside when a fire occurs. Also, make sure that everyone knows how to call 911 in the situation of a house fire.

Taking inventory of your personal possessions is a good idea for insurance reasons in case all your stuff is destroyed by the flames. You’ll also want to keep important things such as birth certificates and passports in a strong box, and you can create digital replicas and upload them to a cloud drive for back ups.

To Lessen the Risks of Home Fires Implement These Steps

Even though some fires aren’t avoidable, there are a few things you can do to minimize the chances of a fire from occurring in your residence:

  • Fireplaces: Creosote is highly flammable and it forms in your fireplace after it’s been used, so always get your fireplace cleaned and maintained regularly. Obtaining a large, durable screen is also necessary to prevent sparks from entering the room and rolling logs.
  • Portable Heaters: Never should you leave a portable space heater alone, and keep flammable objects three feet away from the heater. It’s also critical for your space heater to have the proper features for safety. For instance, it shutting off when it tips over.
  • Smoking: Cigarettes and cigars are extreme fire perils, and smoking outside is the perfect method to prevent a home fire. When you smoke inside, check that you have ashtrays with deep walls and that under any circumstance you don’t smoke in bed or while you’re lethargic. Additionally, not under any circumstance should you smoke inside when someone in the home is using oxygen as this is highly combustible.
  • Children: Store any lighters or matches in a place that is out of reach and out of sight from children to prevent their curiosity from lighting a fire. Educate your children that fire is not a toy too.
  • Cooking: Always stay in the area during the time you’re cooking and don’t leave it alone. When you need to leave the area, get somebody to keep an eye on the food until you come back.
  • Appliances and Electrical: Frayed cords and broken plugs could easily produce a home fire, so be sure to examine your appliances routinely for any issues. Also, check up on the switches for your lights because if they’re hot, they need to be changed.

Get in Touch with the Experienced Fire Damage Repair Professionals from Paul Davis

When you experience a home fire, don’t hesitate to contact Paul Davis. Our professional team has the skills you need with fire damage repair services and we‘ll have your home back to a good condition. Contact us at 888-473-7669 and a local franchise near you will be prepared to help.