Myths And Facts About Household Fires
Monday, March 16th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Fire is a deadly threat to every household. It can strike without warning. There were over 380,000 residential fires in 2005 in the U.S. annually results in some 16,000 injuries and deaths as reported by the NFPA. Everyone should be familiar with the use of fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, smoke alarms and escape ladders for fire safety and protection.
Smoke alarms provide early warning when fire happens. Smoke alarms are best, most efficient way to alert your family of a fire in its beginning stages. The greater number of smoke alarms you have placed throughout you home the better the likelihood you and your family will be alerted to a fire.
Your fire extinguisher is a tool that should only be used to extinguish small contained fires. Strategically positioning fire extinguishers throughout your home will greatly increase the chances of keeping a small fire from getting out of control and causing major damage, injury or even death.
Fire extinguishers are categorized by Underwriters Laboratories ratings. The size and type of fire extinguisher determines the type of fire it should be used on. Types of fires are divided into three categories: A, B, or C.”A” class fires consist of mainly wood paper and or fabric as the fuel source. Type “B” fires consist of flammable liquids or oils. Lastly, “C” fire extinguishers are for electrical fires.
The number preceding the A, B, or C rating determines the size fire the extinguisher has been tested to be effective on. As an example, a 10-B:C extinguisher has been tested and shown to put out a 25 square foot flammable liquid or electrical fire. A 5-B:C extinguisher could handle a 12.5 square foot fire that is flammable liquid or electrical based.
Being ready by using both smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in your home, having a prepared, rehearsed escape plan and knowing what to do in case of fire, can help save your home and your family.Tragedies caused by fire can be prevented!
It is recommended that homeowners install a minimum of one smoke detector on each floor of your house most importantly near sleeping areas. Also, place an emergency escape ladder in each second or third level bedroom of your home. It is also smart to install a fire extinguisher in a convenient location on each level. You may want to consider more than one fire extinguisher per floor if you own a large home
For most homes the minimum recommended number of fire safety devices is one smoke alarm and one fire extinguisher on every level. However, check your local building code for detailed smoke alarm and CO alarm requirements.
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