Smoke damage to your home can come from a few different sources, but the main one is just an outright house fire. Having a good knowledge of fire safety and what should be considered fire hazards around your house is the best way to avoid this, so while we are going to give you a few fire safety tips, we will also tell you a couple of other sources of smoke damage to your home.
The most important place of the house to practice fire safety is the kitchen. Most fires start here and are usually due to clumsiness or simple carelessness that is almost completely avoidable. The first thing that you need to know is that you should never leave things in your kitchen unattended on the stove. Always try to leave someone to watch the cooking for you if you have to leave and if you do not have anyone that can stay, turn it off.
Grease fires are common occurrences in the kitchen, as well, and there are a few things to know about this. Heat any oil or grease that you are using slowly, since heating it too quickly can allow it to reach its smoke point before you can stop it, making it unsuitable for cooking. It gives the food a bad taste, so throwing it out is best. If it manages to catch on fire, you can use a pot lid to smother it with and this should work fairly well at putting it out. Grease fires also start under the burners sometimes if they have not been cleaned out as they should have been. You can use baking soda to put these small fires out with, but if it even remotely starts to get out of control, use your fire extinguisher. Every kitchen and household needs to have one.
Another source of smoke damage to your home is candles. If you burn a lot of candles or incense, the smoke has to cool and settle to the floor eventually and will become rubbed into the carpet as you walk across it. You can tell if you have this kind of damage if you move a piece of furniture that has been in the same spot for a while and the carpet is lighter.
Cigarettes and cigars are another source of this damage and the same principle that applies to the candles applies here. The best thing to do to prevent this is to just stop smoking, since it will affect your health.
Miami Water Damage Restoration and Miami,Boca Raton and Ft.Lauderdale water Damage Restoration
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Friday, January 25, 2008
Your Christmas Tree Can Be A Fire Hazard
Most Christian people have Christmas trees in their home around December, but sometimes think about how pretty the tree is much more than they think about what kind of a hazard it presents to the home when it is improperly cared for. Even though a Christmas tree catching on fire does not happen very often, it still does, and by following a few rules, you can make sure that it does not happen to you.
The tree that you pick should be a fresh one and has next to no needles that are turning brown. They should also be difficult to pull off; if you run your fingers over the needles and they fall off easily, you need to find another tree. Pick up the tree and tap the bottom against the ground to see how many needles fall off. If a lot of the green needles fall off in addition to the brown ones, it has already started to dry out.
When you cut down a Christmas tree, you should never cut it at an angle because this affects the ability of the tree to absorb water. It will dry out much faster than it would if you cut it straight from one side to the other.
One of the first things you need to do is keep the tree watered regularly. A tree that does not receive enough water will dry out and this is the last thing that you want. After the tree starts to shed its needles after Christmas is over, it is time to get rid of it.
They should also not be placed near any source of heat like a fireplace, space heaters, or radiators. Christmas trees only take a moment to catch on fire and once they are, it can be almost impossible to put it out. This is why it is extremely important to make sure that it remains moist by giving it fresh water every day.
If you leave the home and there is not going to be anyone there, it is best to unplug the lights from the wall. You should also do this when you go to bed. It may not seem like the lights would cause that much of a risk, but even small light bulbs can start fires like this.
Miami Water Damage Restoration and Miami,Boca Raton and Ft.Lauderdale water Damage Restoration
The tree that you pick should be a fresh one and has next to no needles that are turning brown. They should also be difficult to pull off; if you run your fingers over the needles and they fall off easily, you need to find another tree. Pick up the tree and tap the bottom against the ground to see how many needles fall off. If a lot of the green needles fall off in addition to the brown ones, it has already started to dry out.
When you cut down a Christmas tree, you should never cut it at an angle because this affects the ability of the tree to absorb water. It will dry out much faster than it would if you cut it straight from one side to the other.
One of the first things you need to do is keep the tree watered regularly. A tree that does not receive enough water will dry out and this is the last thing that you want. After the tree starts to shed its needles after Christmas is over, it is time to get rid of it.
They should also not be placed near any source of heat like a fireplace, space heaters, or radiators. Christmas trees only take a moment to catch on fire and once they are, it can be almost impossible to put it out. This is why it is extremely important to make sure that it remains moist by giving it fresh water every day.
If you leave the home and there is not going to be anyone there, it is best to unplug the lights from the wall. You should also do this when you go to bed. It may not seem like the lights would cause that much of a risk, but even small light bulbs can start fires like this.
Miami Water Damage Restoration and Miami,Boca Raton and Ft.Lauderdale water Damage Restoration
Household Fire Safety
A lot of people think that a house fire is something that cannot happen to them, but the fact of it is that there are a huge number of these that occur all around the world every day and destroy a large amount of property. There are a lot of things that you can do to protect your family and your property from this and it starts with having the right attitude about heat and electricity.
There are a few appliances in the house that you need to take extra care with when you use them and these are characterized by a large amount of electricity and heat. Space heaters that you use in the winter time to keep your house warm when you cannot afford a natural gas bill fit this description perfectly and the correct placement of these is critical. Never place these near curtains, upholstered furniture, and if you can help it, on carpet. Some space heaters can be used on carpet if the fan that blows the heat is at least 12 inches or so off the floor so the carpet is not heated by it. Space heaters with short legs are the most dangerous on carpet.
Be careful when using appliances with extension cords. Using something like a deep fryer, electric skillet, space heater, or electric blanket with a common household extension cord is a bad idea. You can use these with heavy duty extension cords, but make sure they are at least a 14 gauge. If it is not a heavy duty cord, it will melt.
If you use electric blankets during the winter, you should never leave them on while you are sleeping. There have been quite a few people that have woken up to their bed on fire because they decided to leave the blanket on all night instead of just using it to warm up the bed like the instructions intend. When you store these, do so in the top of the closet or somewhere else up high where it cannot be stepped on, since the heating coils inside these are easily damaged.
Grease fires in the kitchen are the most common type of fire and you should never leave anything that you are cooking on the stove or any other cooking appliance unattended. Try not to leave the room for any reason unless you can have someone come into the kitchen and watch the food for you while you take care of business in another area of the house. Never, ever leave the house while something is cooking, even if you are just boiling water.
There are a few appliances in the house that you need to take extra care with when you use them and these are characterized by a large amount of electricity and heat. Space heaters that you use in the winter time to keep your house warm when you cannot afford a natural gas bill fit this description perfectly and the correct placement of these is critical. Never place these near curtains, upholstered furniture, and if you can help it, on carpet. Some space heaters can be used on carpet if the fan that blows the heat is at least 12 inches or so off the floor so the carpet is not heated by it. Space heaters with short legs are the most dangerous on carpet.
Be careful when using appliances with extension cords. Using something like a deep fryer, electric skillet, space heater, or electric blanket with a common household extension cord is a bad idea. You can use these with heavy duty extension cords, but make sure they are at least a 14 gauge. If it is not a heavy duty cord, it will melt.
If you use electric blankets during the winter, you should never leave them on while you are sleeping. There have been quite a few people that have woken up to their bed on fire because they decided to leave the blanket on all night instead of just using it to warm up the bed like the instructions intend. When you store these, do so in the top of the closet or somewhere else up high where it cannot be stepped on, since the heating coils inside these are easily damaged.
Grease fires in the kitchen are the most common type of fire and you should never leave anything that you are cooking on the stove or any other cooking appliance unattended. Try not to leave the room for any reason unless you can have someone come into the kitchen and watch the food for you while you take care of business in another area of the house. Never, ever leave the house while something is cooking, even if you are just boiling water.
Top Ways To Prevent House Fires
Fires do extensive damage all across the globe and cause the loss of many lives, but there are a few different guidelines that will help you prevent a fire from happening to your home. Keep in mind that freak accidents will always happen, but following these simple rules and making sure the rest of your family does, as well, will greatly reduce the chance that you will ever have a fire in your home.
Most fires start in the kitchen, so this is the area that you need to take the most caution with. The golden safety rule when you are cooking is to never leave anything unattended, whether it is on the stove or in a deep fryer, or other cooking appliance. Some people leave crock pots on all day while they are gone to work and even though many people do this without trouble, it is still not recommended. Any appliance that emits heat is a risk, but crock pots are less of a risk because they do not put out as much heat as others.
If your home has a chimney, you need to make sure that it gets cleaned thoroughly every year, even if you have to hire someone to do it for you. Creosote builds up on the inside of the chimney and this is very flammable, so getting rid of it is important to prevent a chimney fire. Chimney fires are difficult to put out, so preventing one in the first place is your best bet.
Any ashes that you throw outside from the fireplace should not be put in a combustible container outside the house, such as a cardboard box.
All flammable chemicals should be kept outside and away from the home. If you have an outdoor shed that is not attached to the house that you can put these in, that is wonderful, but not everyone has this opportunity. If you do not have anywhere to store these items outside away from the house, try to reduce the amount of these chemicals that you own or have someone else with a storage shed store them for you.
Be careful with the use of extension cords. Do not use appliances that emit heat like space heaters or electric skillets with extension cords unless you are using a heavy duty cord. Smaller cords will melt pretty quickly and leave the electrical circuitry exposed. Extension cords should also never be run underneath carpet or rugs because this will create insulation for the heat that is emitted.
Most fires start in the kitchen, so this is the area that you need to take the most caution with. The golden safety rule when you are cooking is to never leave anything unattended, whether it is on the stove or in a deep fryer, or other cooking appliance. Some people leave crock pots on all day while they are gone to work and even though many people do this without trouble, it is still not recommended. Any appliance that emits heat is a risk, but crock pots are less of a risk because they do not put out as much heat as others.
If your home has a chimney, you need to make sure that it gets cleaned thoroughly every year, even if you have to hire someone to do it for you. Creosote builds up on the inside of the chimney and this is very flammable, so getting rid of it is important to prevent a chimney fire. Chimney fires are difficult to put out, so preventing one in the first place is your best bet.
Any ashes that you throw outside from the fireplace should not be put in a combustible container outside the house, such as a cardboard box.
All flammable chemicals should be kept outside and away from the home. If you have an outdoor shed that is not attached to the house that you can put these in, that is wonderful, but not everyone has this opportunity. If you do not have anywhere to store these items outside away from the house, try to reduce the amount of these chemicals that you own or have someone else with a storage shed store them for you.
Be careful with the use of extension cords. Do not use appliances that emit heat like space heaters or electric skillets with extension cords unless you are using a heavy duty cord. Smaller cords will melt pretty quickly and leave the electrical circuitry exposed. Extension cords should also never be run underneath carpet or rugs because this will create insulation for the heat that is emitted.
Is Your Home Safe From Fire?
Everyone should know how to prevent fires from happening in their home and there are a number of ways that you can increase fire safety. Make sure all members of your home know these guidelines and follow them.
A common item that you can use in the kitchen to put out small fires on the stove is baking soda. Salt can also be used, but baking soda does a little bit better of a job. It might take two or three handfuls of both to put out a small fire, but this is significantly less messy than using a fire extinguisher to do this. Try to use a fire extinguishing method that is proportional to the size of the fire to avoid having a large mess.
Keep at least one 5 pound fire extinguisher in your home at all times, especially in the kitchen. If your home has more than one floor, you will want to have one on each floor, just in case.
If your oven cleans itself and locks the door, do NOT try to force the door open. It is extremely hot inside your oven, hotter than it allows you to cook things in it, and this level of heat is very dangerous. When the oven is cleaning itself, leave it alone.
All items that are labeled as being extremely flammable need to be stored outside in a separate building, if possible. If you do not have a separate building in your yard, you need to at least create an area to put them in that is not near your house.
Do not clean anything in your home with gas or turpentine. The fumes from these chemicals will settle to the floor and a spark from any electronic device could set them off. Clean items in this way outside and away from your house.
Keep combustible materials away from your furnace and other appliances that get hot. This includes space heaters that you use in the winter to keep your house warm. If you can help it, do not place these on carpeted surfaces and never use them to dry socks or gloves wet from snow or water.
Your smoke detector’s batteries need to be checked and changed regularly to make sure they will work when you need them to.
If you have a chimney, it needs to be cleaned and inspected at least once a year.
A common item that you can use in the kitchen to put out small fires on the stove is baking soda. Salt can also be used, but baking soda does a little bit better of a job. It might take two or three handfuls of both to put out a small fire, but this is significantly less messy than using a fire extinguisher to do this. Try to use a fire extinguishing method that is proportional to the size of the fire to avoid having a large mess.
Keep at least one 5 pound fire extinguisher in your home at all times, especially in the kitchen. If your home has more than one floor, you will want to have one on each floor, just in case.
If your oven cleans itself and locks the door, do NOT try to force the door open. It is extremely hot inside your oven, hotter than it allows you to cook things in it, and this level of heat is very dangerous. When the oven is cleaning itself, leave it alone.
All items that are labeled as being extremely flammable need to be stored outside in a separate building, if possible. If you do not have a separate building in your yard, you need to at least create an area to put them in that is not near your house.
Do not clean anything in your home with gas or turpentine. The fumes from these chemicals will settle to the floor and a spark from any electronic device could set them off. Clean items in this way outside and away from your house.
Keep combustible materials away from your furnace and other appliances that get hot. This includes space heaters that you use in the winter to keep your house warm. If you can help it, do not place these on carpeted surfaces and never use them to dry socks or gloves wet from snow or water.
Your smoke detector’s batteries need to be checked and changed regularly to make sure they will work when you need them to.
If you have a chimney, it needs to be cleaned and inspected at least once a year.
Here’s How To Prevent House Fires
There are a large number of house fires every year in this country and around the world, but the damage that they do to homes and families can largely be avoided if you follow a few simple guidelines. These will greatly reduce the amount of risk that your home will catch on fire as long as you are consistent with enforcing them.
The first thing that you need to do is know that most fires start in the kitchen. The largest reason for this is that many people leave things cooking on the stove so they can go to another room of the house and take care of another chore, watch tv, or even leave the house to run an errand. You should never, ever leave your home while something is on the stove unless someone is still there to watch it for you while you are gone. Even clothes dryers need to be turned off if you are planning on leaving the house.
Rags and paper towels soaked with gasoline should never be tossed in the garbage with other combustible items. These items should be laid out flat outside somewhere so the gas will evaporate. Do this somewhere away from heat.
If you clean anything with turpentine or gas, please do it outside. The fumes from both of these items are heavier than air and will sink to the floor. Sparks from electronic items or wall outlets will ignite the fumes, possibly resulting in an explosion.
Space heaters should never be used near combustible items and if you have to use a heater on a carpeted surface, the heat should be emitted from a portion of the heater that is up and away from the floor. Space heaters with short legs that sit low to the floor should not be used on carpet at all. You should also not use these appliances to dry wet items of clothing, even if you are sitting there watching them.
Your chimney needs to be cleaned out every year and the creosote build-up removed. Creosote is a result of burning wood in your fireplace, coats the inside of the chimney, and is extremely flammable.
You should have at least one 5 pound fire extinguisher. If your house only has one floor, the best place for it is in the kitchen and if your home has more than one floor, there should be one on the other floors, as well. This makes sure that the fire does not get out of control while you run to the other end of the house to get the fire extinguisher.
The first thing that you need to do is know that most fires start in the kitchen. The largest reason for this is that many people leave things cooking on the stove so they can go to another room of the house and take care of another chore, watch tv, or even leave the house to run an errand. You should never, ever leave your home while something is on the stove unless someone is still there to watch it for you while you are gone. Even clothes dryers need to be turned off if you are planning on leaving the house.
Rags and paper towels soaked with gasoline should never be tossed in the garbage with other combustible items. These items should be laid out flat outside somewhere so the gas will evaporate. Do this somewhere away from heat.
If you clean anything with turpentine or gas, please do it outside. The fumes from both of these items are heavier than air and will sink to the floor. Sparks from electronic items or wall outlets will ignite the fumes, possibly resulting in an explosion.
Space heaters should never be used near combustible items and if you have to use a heater on a carpeted surface, the heat should be emitted from a portion of the heater that is up and away from the floor. Space heaters with short legs that sit low to the floor should not be used on carpet at all. You should also not use these appliances to dry wet items of clothing, even if you are sitting there watching them.
Your chimney needs to be cleaned out every year and the creosote build-up removed. Creosote is a result of burning wood in your fireplace, coats the inside of the chimney, and is extremely flammable.
You should have at least one 5 pound fire extinguisher. If your house only has one floor, the best place for it is in the kitchen and if your home has more than one floor, there should be one on the other floors, as well. This makes sure that the fire does not get out of control while you run to the other end of the house to get the fire extinguisher.
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