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Common Fire Hazards Russ Rauch, Vice-President, USC VFD
Every year, house fires claim the lives of more than 2500 people and cause nearly $7 billion in damages. While the number of house fire deaths are dropping (largely due to fire safety awareness), it’s a number that is still far too high for something that is often preventable. When it comes to household fires, heroics don’t start with firefighters, they start at home with you. Keep in mind that when discussing this topic, awareness is not enough. To read the following tips and do nothing is a disservice to your family and home. By following and acting upon the tips in this article, you can increase the odds of making sure that a firefighter never has to risk his life running into your burning home, and that if he does, your family will be safe and sound somewhere outside. Over three-quarters of all home fires come from common hazards. Knowing what these hazards are and how to best prevent them will go a long way towards protecting your family and your house. Cooking—with microwaves, using cooking oil, using fryers— leads to more house fires than any other source. But by far, the greatest factor in kitchen fires is simply unattended cooking. • Never leave the kitchen unattended while cooking, especially when using oil or high temperatures. • Be sure that all heating elements are turned off immediately after cooking is done. • Keep combustible items like dish towels and loose clothing away from cooking surfaces. • Bear in mind that Thanksgiving (and holidays in general) leads the way in terms of most the dangerous single day for cooking fires, so be extra careful. Heating equipment, including your furnace, fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, etc. • Clean and inspect chimneys and fireplaces once a year. This is the leading cause of heating-related house fires. • Inspect your furnace each year, changing filters regularly. Consider having air ducts professionally cleaned to prevent the accumulation of dust.
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UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Winter 2018
• Never set clothes or shoes on a radiator or space heater to dry. • Space heaters account for one-third of heating fires. Keep flammable material at least three feet away from the heat source, and make sure the heater is placed on an even and stable surface. Never leave space heaters on overnight or when you leave the house (a good option are timed space heaters that turn off after one to four hours of use). Only use space heaters that have automatic shut off when tipped over. Electrical equipment, including electric appliances, lighting, outlets, and wiring. • Check all appliances and lighting sources for frayed or damaged cords. Immediately unplug and replace any cords that are found to be frayed or damaged. • Use tamper resistant (TR) outlets. The average home has 75 outlets, and we all know how kids are tempted to stick things in there. TR outlets utilize small shutters so that only a plug with two/three prongs can be inserted. • Don’t overload outlets with high-wattage devices. Be especially wary of this in bathrooms and kitchens, and spread out your appliances as best as you can. It is recommended to only have one high-wattage device per outlet. • If you have regular problems with an outlet or wiring (sparking, frequent blown fuse, constant flickering in lights, etc.), immediately contact an electrician to correct the problem rather than letting it fester. • For lighting, use bulbs that match or are below the fixture’s maximum recommended wattage. • Only use extension cords as temporary devices. If you are using an extension cord full-time in your house or garage, install another outlet. • Don’t run extension cords under rugs, carpet, furniture, etc. Cords can get warm, and if the cord frays or wears out, it poses a fire hazard. Candles are often seen as the number one fire hazard (they aren’t), but with a few small measures, you can nearly eliminate the chance of a candle-causing house fire. • As you can imagine, winter is the most dangerous time for candles, with Christmas and New Year’s Eve/Day being the worst days. Be aware, especially on holidays when wrapping paper is scattered about. • One-third of candle fires start in the bedroom. Sure, have a romantic evening, but place all candles on a stable surface where they won’t be knocked over. • Keep candles at least a foot away from anything that will easily burn. More than half of candle fires start because they Legend: came in contact with a combus1) Space heater 2) Congested outlet tible material. 3) Microwave • Blow out all candles when leav4) Frying pan ing a room. 5) Oven • Keep candles out of the reach 6) Cooking oil 7) Candles of children. 8) Barbecue Accidents involving children 9) Lit cigarettes happen frequently. We all know 10) Christmas tree that kids love fire. Combine that 11, 12) Washer, dryer 13) Furnace with their insatiable curiosity, and
