Fire Damage Repair Expert Advice – Planning for a Home Fire

As far as calamitous disasters go there are few things as overwhelming as a fire that destroys your property and possessions. A fire in your house is a distressing and an intensely draining situation, whether it consumes everything or not. Nevertheless, there are specific precautions you can take to lessen the odds of a fire from happening in your house. The fire damage repair team from Paul Davis knows the serious condition of home fires and that’s why it’s essential to know how to plan and prepare your home and what to do when a fire happens.

Create and Implement an Emergency Plan

Not all home fires are preventable and you can only do so much. That is why it’s essential to have safety strategies in place. Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are necessary, and make sure you have the proper amount to suit your property. Nevertheless, you should think about installing smoke alarms that can identify smoke from fires caused by electricity, because faulty wiring can be a cause of home fires. If you have children, you’ll want to teach them on what the smoke alarm sounds like and what to do when one goes off.

Come up with fire escape routes and ensure everyone is aware of them. There should be two exits from all rooms in the house. You’ll also need to have a planned meeting location outside of the house so that you know everyone gets out safely.

Something else you need to do is protect your important items like photographs, birth certificates and passports. You could create digital copies and place them into cloud storage as a backup, and you can get a fire safe box to keep the hard copies safe as well. Finally, make a record of all your personal possessions for insurance purposes in the event they’re burned up by the flames.

Things to Keep in Mind to Decrease Home Fire Hazards

Even though some fires aren’t avoidable, there are some things you can do to minimize the odds of a fire from developing in your house:

  • Smoking: Cigarettes and cigars are serious perils for fire, and taking your smoking outside is the perfect method to prevent a home fire. If you smoke indoors, make sure you have ashtrays with deep walls and that under any situation you don’t smoke in bed or while you’re lethargic. Also, never smoke indoors if someone in the home is on oxygen as this is very explosive.
  • Children: Kids are inquisitive and fire is appealing to them, so instruct your children that fire is not something to play with. Also, keep your lighters and matches in a spot that is out of sight and out of reach.
  • Fireplaces: Getting a proper fireplace screen is essential for the safety of your house and everyone who resides in it. Ensure that it is strong enough to prevent rolling logs and sparks. In addition, you should clean and maintain your fireplace and chimney consistently to erase the extremely flammable creosote that builds up.
  • Portable Heaters: It is very important to keep any combustible objects at least three feet from a portable heater. You’ll also need your portable heater to have a control mechanism as well as other safety features such as shutting off if it falls over.
  • Appliances and Electrical: Examine your light switches to see if they have to be changed out. If you touch them and they’re hot, that’s a sign that they’re faulty. Also, examine your appliances for torn cords and damaged plugs.
  • Cooking: Remain in the kitchen at all times during the time you’re cooking and don’t leave it alone. If you have to step out of the kitchen, get someone to watch over the food until you return.

Call the Fire Damage Repair Experts at Paul Davis

Contact the professional fire damage repair team from Paul Davis right away if your house has had a fire. Our professional team can restore any fire damage and get your house back in a habitable condition. For a franchise near you, contact us at 888-473-7669.