5 Fire Prevention Tips for Every Household

June 28, 2022

5 fire prevention tips for every household

You never know when a fire could ravage your home: it can start from a small spark from a faulty appliance, or through a gas leak while cooking in the kitchen. Sometimes, it’s from a candle burning right beside a stack of books. Instances like these prove that a list of fire prevention tips should come in handy in your home. Contrary to most people’s instincts, dousing water on the flames is not always the ideal way to put out a fire. First, you have to know what kind of house fire you’re dealing with. Only then can you figure out your course of action. In line with Fire Prevention Month, here are five tips on how you can quickly put out a small house fire and prevent it from turning into a conflagration: Always have the following household materials on hand: Baking soda– it releases carbon dioxide in the air, smothering small fires. Salt– it absorbs heat so that whatever’s on fire can’t support combustion anymore. Fire blanket– either made of fiberglass or wool, a fire blanket cuts off oxygen supply to the flame, smothering it. Thick wool blanket– compared to flammable materials, wool needs more oxygen in order to burn, making it an excellent flame-retardant material. It burns very slowly, if at all; and if it does, it does not stick to the skin. Thick rug in a fire-retardant material, like wool– in the absence of a wool or fire blanket, a thick foot rug in a flame-retardant material will do. Fire extinguisher– easily available in hardware stores, a fire extinguisher is a necessary tool in every home. To put out a kitchen fire, avoid using water or flour.

Whatever you do, do not throw water or flour on grease fires, as these can make the flames worse. Water, in particular, will repel oil and cause it to move to other surfaces. Instead, in cases when the grease on a pan catches fire, simply turn off the stove – don’t forget to shut off the fuel supply, too. If you are using a gas stove, cover the pan with a metal lid. But if covering the pan poses a challenge, smother the flames with several cups of baking soda or salt (don’t just sprinkle them on). If you are lacking baking soda, salt, or a metal lid, cover the flames with a thick rug or fire blanket (which you should keep handy in the kitchen). Also, avoid swatting the flames with a towel or clothing, as this will add more oxygen to the fire, making it spread further.

The first thing you do to put out an electrical fire is to cut off the power supply. Never, ever use water to put it out If you notice sparks coming from the wiring of an appliance, don’t just pull the plug outright as this might electrocute you. Instead, switch off the power at the breaker box. Once the power source has been turned off, smother any blaze with a clean and non-flammable blanket, like wool. To keep flames on combustible materials from spreading, smother them. Here’s the scenario: there’s a brownout and you put a candle too close to a curtain. If the curtain catches fire, how do you put out the flames? Use a fire blanket to extinguish the fire in its initial stages. It cuts off oxygen supply to the fire and thus stops the curtain from burning. When using a fire blanket, don’t just throw it over the fire. Carefully remove it from its packaging, grip the blanket in front of you with your body protected, and drape the blanket over the fire, as if covering a sleeping person. To put out small fires on wood, clothing, plastic, rubber, paper, and other solid flammable materials, those are the instances when you can use plenty of water. Learn how to use a home fire extinguisher properly. A fire extinguisher is a must-have item in any home. Look for a fire extinguisher that’s class ABC, since you can use it to put out any type of house fire, whether it’s electrical, on combustibles, or on flammable liquids. Class A extinguishers are for fires involving solid flammable materials, while class B is for flammable liquids like oil and gas. Class C extinguishers are for snuffing out fires from gases. Make sure to read the instructions on how to use the fire extinguisher even if there is no fire yet. It pays to be ready. Though fire extinguishers are good for several years, make sure that you test them out regularly and refill them so that they’re always ready for use. A simple house fire can easily become an emergency if not contained from the very beginning. It can cause significant damage to your home in a flash, or worst-case scenario, turn everything you’ve built into ashes. So, you need to insure your home with the Cocogen Home Excel Plus, a unique home insurance replacement plan that will help you rebuild your home in case the unthinkable happens. It offers full protection from unexpected disasters like fire, earthquake, typhoon, flood, and robbery. You may even expand your coverage with add-ons like personal liability and lodging and rental allowance. Get in touch with us to learn more about the Cocogen Home Excel Plus.

*** The views expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cocogen Insurance.

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