Michael K Houser's Blog

Between December 24 and December 26, deaths, injuries and dollar losses caused by fires increase an average of 50 percent, 61 percent and 43 percent, respectively, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Texas Mutual Insurance Company offers tips to reduce the chances of fire during the holidays.

Holiday lights:

* Do not overload electrical circuits. Follow manufacturer guidelines for the number of light strands connected to each other. Do not use multiple-plug adapters to increase the number of items you can connect to a standard electrical outlet.
* Inspect all electrical items before you use them. On light strands, look for broken or cracked light sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections. Make sure the ground prong on three-prong plugs is in place.
* If you use electrical cords or lights outside, make sure they are rated for outdoor use.

Trees:

* Make sure live trees are fresh, with no brown needles or dry limbs. Give them plenty of water.
* Spray live trees with a fire retardant. Tree vendors and local home improvement stores usually carry fire-retardant spray.
* Check the box and the safety tag on artificial trees to make sure they are flame-resistant. Do not place light strands on metallic trees.
* Do not place trees near fireplaces, furnaces, candles or other sources of heat. Also, avoid placing trees near room exits. If the tree catches on fire, you may not be able to get out.

Open flames:

* Place candles in holders that will not tip over, and keep them away from drapes, trees and other flammable objects.
* Put candles out before you leave home or go to bed.
* Have a professional chimney sweep inspect your fireplace annually, before you use it.
* Light fires with kindling and wooden matches only. Do not use flammable liquids.
* Always use a fireplace screen.

When a home fire occurs, heat and smoke build and spread quickly and silently, leaving families with as few as three minutes to escape. Fire safety and survival begin with preparation. Yet, according to a recent national survey from the nonprofit Home Safety Council (HSC), only 37 percent of respondents have taken any actions at home to prevent fires.

HSC is partnering with the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) to educate families that the best way to protect against a home fire is to have three things: working smoke alarms on each level of the home to warn of a fire, even late at night; a fire escape plan that the whole family has practiced; and an installed home fire sprinkler system to control a fire.

Most families know about the importance of smoke alarms and fire drills, but very few are familiar with home fire sprinklers. In fact, the Home Safety Council’s recent survey revealed that only eight percent of adults in major cities across America live in homes protected by fire sprinklers and 41 percent of those surveyed didn’t know that fire sprinklers were a safety option for their homes.

“It’s definitely a concern that so many families are living without home fire sprinklers. They offer the ultimate fire protection and that can save lives,” said Meri-K Appy, Home Safety Council president. “Fire sprinklers are available for homes, but too often people don’t know to ask for them when they build or move. Many people believe the common myths about fire sprinklers, which may prevent them from wanting to install the system.”

To show home fire sprinklers in action, and help dispel common sprinkler myths, HSC and NFSA have developed online animations that simplify and demonstrate how the technology works. The “Living Room” of MySafeHome.org — the Home Safety Council’s free, virtual home safety tour — features animations comparing a fire burning in a home protected by sprinklers with one that is not. The interactive feature illustrates how quickly a fire grows out of control in the room without fire sprinklers, filling it with deadly smoke. In the home with fire sprinklers, the fire remains small and contained.

Home fire sprinkler systems are installed behind the walls like plumbing. Sprinklers are connected to a constant water supply, so they are always ready to extinguish fires. Only the heat of a fire will cause the sprinkler to flow — not smoke.

If a fire starts, the sprinkler closest to it quickly controls the fire, keeping it small until the fire department arrives. That quick response controls heat and deadly smoke. With a fire under control and confined to just the area of the room where it started, families have more time to get outside to safety — and survival.

“Smoke alarms are essential to alert people to a fire, especially when they’re asleep and most vulnerable,” Appy said. “But only sprinklers work automatically to control and even put out a fire when it’s small. They’re the very best protection a family can have against the tragedy of a home fire.”

If you are considering buying a home or moving to a new building, choose one with a fire sprinkler system, if possible. When building a new home or doing a major remodel of an existing home, consider having a home fire sprinkler system installed. Contact your local fire department for help finding a qualified home fire sprinkler installer.

Even with fire sprinklers, every family needs working smoke alarms and a well-rehearsed fire escape plan for full protection. Follow the Home Safety Council’s advice below to make sure your home is safe from fire.

1. Put smoke alarms inside or near every bedroom. Test them monthly to make sure they work.
2. Put new batteries in smoke alarms once a year, sooner if the alarm chirps.
3. Make a fire escape plan for your family. Find two exits out of every room. Pick a meeting place outside. Practice makes perfect — hold a family fire drill at least twice each year.
4. Always stay in the kitchen while cooking.
5. Keep BBQ grills at least ten feet away from other objects, including the home and any shrubs or bushes.
6. Only light candles when an adult is in the room. Do not allow children to keep candles or incense in their rooms.
7. Store matches and lighters in a locked cabinet, out of reach for young children.
8. Learn how and when to use a fire extinguisher.
9. Space heaters need space. Keep them at least three feet away from things that can burn, such as curtains or stacks of newspaper. Always turn off heaters when leaving the room or falling asleep
10. If you use gasoline, store only a small quantity in an approved gasoline container. Store it in an outdoor shed, away from your home. Never bring any amount of gasoline indoors.

More fires occur during the winter months than any other time, and steps taken during October can help keep you safe at home. October 4-10 marks National Fire Prevention Week with the theme, “Stay Fire Smart, Don’t Get Burned.”

A home fire is reported every 81 seconds in the United States, and roughly eight persons die in a home fire every day, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Most home fires originate in the kitchen. After cooking and smoking, heating sources and electrical equipment were among the most common causes as well.

PECO offers the following fire safety tips to ensure that you and your family can stay safe:

• Have your home heater cleaned and inspected to ensure safe, efficient operation at least every other year, and keep the area around the heater clean at all times. An inspection by a qualified contractor can ensure the heater vent or flue is not blocked, a common problem leading to carbon monoxide poisoning and fires.
• Make sure there is sufficient space between heating equipment, such as free-standing space heaters — and combustibles like furniture and drapes. Never leave an operating portable heater unattended, especially when there are children and pets nearby, or when you are sleeping. When home fires result in fatalities, the NFPA reports portable and space heaters often are involved.
• Take time to inspect conditions around your home. Look for any loose or frayed cords on all electrical appliances. Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.
• Avoid overloading electrical outlets. Use only one appliance for each receptacle when possible. Avoid the use of devices that allow the connection of multiple appliances into a single receptacle.
• Have plastic covers on all unused electrical outlets in homes with small children.
• Place lamps on level surfaces, away from things that can burn and use bulbs that match the lamp’s recommended wattage.

A small percent of all home fires are caused by candles, most being used in the bedroom. Seventy-percent of households use candles. Lit candles should never be left unattended, and candles should always be kept out of the reach of children and pets. Make sure candles are on a firm base so they will not tip over, and avoid placing candles near curtains, furniture and other flammable materials.

In addition to fire prevention, fire experts want all homes to be equipped with smoke alarms or detectors, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, and home sprinkler systems when possible. Families should check smoke detector batteries once a month, replace the batteries once a year, and occasionally dust the inside of the unit to prevent false alarms. Fire officials say smoke alarms — properly installed and maintained — play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries.

• Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a fire in half.
• A 2008 survey found that nearly all U.S. households had at least one smoke alarm, yet no smoke alarms were present or none operated in two out of five of reported home fires between 2003 and 2006.
• No smoke alarms were present in 40 percent of the home fire deaths.
• Almost two-thirds of reported home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• In more than half of the reported home fires in which the smoke alarms were present but did not operate, batteries were missing or disconnected.
• Families need to plan fire escape routes in case of an emergency and practice the routes with all members of your household — especially children.

Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on Oct. 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on Oct. 9, 1871.

According to the Home Safety Council’s State of Home Safety in America Report, fires and burns are the third leading cause of unintentional home injury and related deaths. Fire safety and survival begin with everyone in your household being prepared. The Home Safety Council offers tips to to reduce the chance of fire in your home.
Prevent Fires Caused by Cooking:
* Always stay in the kitchen while cooking.
* Keep things that can burn, such as dishtowels, paper or plastic bags, and curtains at least three feet away from the range top.
* Before cooking, roll up sleeves and use oven mitts. Loose-fitting clothes can touch a hot burner and catch on fire.
* Always stay by the grill when cooking. Your grill may stay hot for a long time. Keep children and pets away.
* Keep grills at least ten feet away from other objects, including the house and any shrubs or bushes.
Prevent Fires Caused by Matches and Lighters:
* Many young children are badly burned or die playing with matches and lighters.
* Store matches and lighters in a locked cabinet.
* If you must keep matches or lighters in your jacket or purse, put them in a place where children cannot see or touch them.
Prevent Fires Caused by Heating:
Space Heaters
* Space heaters need space. Keep them at least three feet away from things that can burn, such as curtains or stacks of newspaper. Always turn off heaters when leaving the room or going to bed.
Furnaces
* Have a service person inspect chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves and central furnaces once a year. Have them cleaned when necessary.
Fireplaces and Wood Stoves
* Keep things that can burn away from your fireplace and keep a glass or metal screen in front of your fireplace.
Prevent Fires Caused by Smoking:
* Use “fire-safe” cigarettes and smoke outside.
* Use large, deep ashtrays on sturdy surfaces like a table.
* Douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before dumping them in the trash.
Prevent Fires Caused by Candles:
* Only light candles when an adult is in the room. Do not allow children to keep candles or incense in their rooms.
* Always use stable, candle holders made of material that won’t catch fire, such as metal, glass, etc.
* Blow out candles when adults leave the room.
Prevent Fires Caused by Gasoline and Other Products:
Gasoline
* Gasoline is very dangerous. Inside a garage or home, gasoline vapors can explode with just a tiny spark.
* It is best not to keep any gasoline at home. If you must keep some, use a special safety container.
* If you can, keep the container in an outdoor shed away from your home. Close all the openings.
* Never bring or use gasoline indoors. Use it as a motor fuel only.
Other Products
* Read the label of everything you buy. If you see the words “Caution,” “Warning,” “Danger,” or “Flammable,” be very careful.
* Close the lid on all dangerous products and put them away after using them.
* Store them away in a safe place with a lock.
Keep Your Family Safe At Home
* Make a fire escape plan for your family. Find two exits out of every room. Pick a meeting place outside. Practice makes perfect – hold a family fire drill at least twice each year.
* Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. There are two kinds of smoke alarms – photoelectric and ionization. If possible, get some of each kind or buy “combination” smoke alarms that have both types of sensors.
* Put them inside or near every bedroom. Test them monthly to make sure they work. Put in new batteries once a year.
* Know how to put out a small pan fire by sliding a lid over the flames.
* Teach every family member to “Stop, Drop, Roll and Cool” if clothes catch fire by dropping immediately to the ground, crossing hands over your chest and rolling over and over or back and forth to put out the flames. Cool the burned area with cool water and seek medical attention for serious burns.
* Consider having a home fire sprinkler system installed in your new home, or when you remodel.
* Learn how and when to use a fire extinguisher.