Staying Safe in a House Fire

3/22/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has the specialized fire and water damage cleanup and restoration training and experience to quickly restore your home to pre-fire condition.

A house fire is one of the most frightening things that a family can experience. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that there are more than 300,000 home structure fires each year in the United States, with an astonishing average of seven deaths per day linked to house fires. While the kitchen is the most common place that a fire starts inside of a home, areas like the living room, bedrooms, and family room are also sources of a sizable number of fires. As a homeowner in South Florida, it is absolutely essential for you and your family to be well-versed on an emergency plan in the event of a fire in your home.

A common misconception about house fires is that homeowners think “it will never happen to me”. Unfortunately, this mindset often leads to a lack of preparation that can make all of the difference in the event of an emergency. As such, keep these safety tips in mind for staying safe in a house fire:

1. Do not rely on a fire alarm to inform all of the members of your family that a fire is present in the home, start yelling out loud
2. Grab the fire extinguisher is the fire tame enough, but be sure to abort that plan and leave immediately if the fire extinguisher proves to be a futile effort
3. Call 9-1-1 or the fire department
4. Exit immediately and crawl low to avoid smoke inhalation
5. Feel the doorknob before opening any door to ensure that it is not hot
6. Leave your valuables in the home, get yourself and your family out as quickly as possible
7. Use a damp towel or shirt to cover your nostrils so that smoke does not enter your lungs
8. Never run into a room with flames present
9. As you exit a room, close the door behind you to avoid the spreading of the fire
10. Once you have evacuated the home, stay outside in a safe place and wait for first responders to arrive

House fires bring out a variety of instincts in people, and they are often dangerous responses to the emergency situation. Therefore, it is vital that you go over these safety tips with your family so that everyone is prepared in the event of a fire. After the fire trucks are gone, your and belongings likely suffer from not only fire and smoke damage, but also extensive water damage from firefighting efforts. SERVPRO has the specialized fire and water damage cleanup and restoration training and experience to quickly restore your home to pre-fire condition. Call us today to learn more!