We have the benefit of knowing that we try to help everyone that hires us to help with their fire damage insurance claim. However, we hate to see the heartache that comes with such a claim. This is why Aftermath Adjusters & Consulting wants to offer you five fire prevention tips to keep your home safe.
1. Examine Your Surroundings
Try to walk around the outside of your building every few months. You should also go through every room and identify any potential fire risks. These could be:
- Things that produce heat — space heaters, grills, curling irons, candles, stoves, light bulbs
- Overloaded and aging electrical systems — multi-plugs, daisy-chained and under-rated extension cords, and worn or outdated wiring
- Smoking materials — especially those used in bed
Eliminating these items will help with fire prevention.
2. Test Your Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors can give you an alert that you need to escape a fire. You should have detectors on every floor and more than one on large floors or areas separated by long hallways. You can also:
- Have monthly tests of the alarm
- Replace the batteries every six months
- Change the unit every 10 years
3. Practice Your Safety Plan
It is terrifying to know that your house is on fire. Thick smoke will quickly fill the rooms and make it impossible to see. Your mind will race, making rational thinking difficult. This is why it is critical to have a safety plan that you practice. Be sure that everyone in your home:
- Knows the smoke alarm’s sound
- Can identify two ways out of every room
- Can remember the rally point to meet after they evacuate
Where the rally point is doesn’t matter. It can be a neighbor’s house, a nearby park, or even just across the street. But everyone needs to know to go there immediately.
4. Evacuate Immediately
Being prepared and practicing fire prevention tips can’t prevent every fire. There is a point, called the flashover, where everything in a room bursts into flame. It typically happens three minutes after you see the first flame. That means that you will barely have time to get out when your smoke detector wakes you up.
You may be tempted to try to put out the fire yourself. However, fire professionals do not recommend this. You can be overcome quite easily by toxic gases and smoke. Instead:
- Stay low to the ground
- Exit as fast as possible
- Go directly to your rally point
- Call 911
- Stay away from the burning building
- Do not go back inside the burning building
5. Don’t Become a Statistic
Close to 375,000 U.S. homes catch fire every year. They kill over 2500 people and injure thousands of others. You and your family could avoid becoming a statistic by taking these simple fire prevention tips.
Of course, even with fire prevention tips, not all fires are preventable. If your home suffers fire damage, please give Aftermath Adjusting a call. We will help you get the highest payout possible based on the claim and your insurance coverage.
