Over 300,000 residential fires occur every year in the U.S. Unfortunately, house fires have the highest rate of fatalities. With numbers that high, it helps to know the most common causes of house fires and what you should do to protect your family and home from tragedy.
If the unfortunate does happen, contact the team here at Tri-County All Restorations for fire damage restoration in Oakland Park. We provide same-day services to handle fire cleanup.
However, if you’re here for preventative measures and insight, keep reading!
Check Your Smoke Detectors
Your smoke detectors will alert you of a fire before it’s too late. As a result, you should always check them to ensure they’re in good condition. It’s recommended to test them once every month, usually by pressing the button and waiting for the alarm to go off. However, not all alarms work the same, so carefully read the manual to find out how to test yours.
Checking the alarm should be a two-man job: one person to press the button, and the other to go in every room throughout the house to listen for the alarm. It’s important that you’re able to hear the alarm in every room of the house.
If you live on your own, ask a friend or neighbor to help you. If the beep is weak, then you should change the batteries. This is also the case if the alarm makes high-pitched chirping sounds every few minutes. This is an indication that the battery is low and needs to be replaced.
As with every appliance in your home, your smoke detectors will wear out over time. It’s advised to replace your smoke detector every ten years.
When you do, it doesn’t hurt to purchase a smoke detector with extra bells and whistles. Do whatever it takes to keep from having to contact our fire damage restoration in Oakland Park.
Check Appliances
The majority of residential fires start in the kitchen, so it helps to make sure your kitchen is fireproofed. If you have an appliance that can pose a safety hazard, it should be in a safe location, stowed away from curtains and cleaning supplies. You can’t easily store your stove and dishwasher in a safe place, but you can ensure portable appliances don’t cause trouble. Common appliances that can start fires in the kitchen are:
- Microwaves
- Toasters
- Toaster ovens
- Portable grills
When it comes to your stove, keep flammable items off the surface, such as dish towels, cleaning rags, and utensils. These can all pose a serious safety threat.
Keep a close eye on your dishwasher, as well. It’s not recommended to leave your home while the dishwasher is running or to run your dishwasher at night. If there are any faulty parts, get them fixed or replaced immediately.
Get a Fire Extinguisher
Sometimes, accidents happen. No matter how careful you are, you may accidentally start a fire in your home. If you have a fire extinguisher, you can prevent small fires from spreading throughout the house. If you experience small fire damage, don’t clean it up on your own. Contact our fire damage restoration in Oakland Park. We provide same-day fire damage cleanup in Oakland Park and the surrounding areas and we can help you.
It’s recommended that you keep your fire extinguisher in a room where fires are most likely to start, such as your kitchen. Like your smoke detectors, you should have your fire extinguisher checked once every month to ensure it’s working properly.
Candle Precautions
If you enjoy lighting a candle in the evening as you wind down, or as a romantic flare during date night, just make sure not to leave it unattended. It’s also important that you keep candles away from anything that’s flammable, and never go to sleep without blowing it out first.
Check your Cords
Pets, especially cats, enjoy chewing up long chords.
Before plugging anything in, such as your flat iron, blow dryer, or laptop, make sure the cord isn’t badly frayed. If your chords are frayed, this can cause a fire. Rather than taking the chance, replace the chord or the entire appliance before it’s too late. Don’t chance it with DIY fixes, this can only lead to bigger problems.
Contact Tri-County All Restorations
When the unimaginable happens, we’ll help you get your life back in order. Contact Tri-County All Restorations for our fire damage restoration in Oakland Park. You can reach our restoration experts at (954)280-4715.
