A few weeks back, around 11pm, we heard a lot of commotion outside our front door (which is unusual during these times). We went to see what was happening and we were saddened to see a house around the corner from us was on fire. The house was a row house, and the direct neighbours had also vacated their premises. The fire and police department were on the scene and working to get things under control. Luckily, no one was badly hurt, but obviously there were damages to the property and possessions. This was a wake-up call for us: to ensure we had done everything we could to prevent a fire and to make sure we were prepared if we found ourselves in a fire situation. Today, we will share with you a checklist to make sure you are ready for a fire (and hopefully a fire never occurs).

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Know where fires commonly start

There are some steps you can take to prevent fires, but sometimes it is out of your control. Knowing where fires typically originate can help you do everything in your power to ensure a fire doesn’t start in your house. Of course, fires can start everywhere and you should be extra careful with candles, smoking and Christmas trees as well.

• Kitchen: unattended cooking is one of the most common reasons a house fire starts. To prevent kitchen fires, make sure cooking appliances are not left unattended, ensure stoves and appliances are turned off when not in use, keep everything (especially dish towels) off hot surfaces, make sure to roll up baggy sleeves and tie back hair when cooking and do not use your oven to heat your home. Having a Class B fire extinguisher in the kitchen is handy to put out small fires. Never use water to out out a fire that has grease as an accelerant as this will only spread the flames. No fire extinguisher? Baking soda can also help extinguish fires.
• Bedrooms: electrical fires are common in bedrooms due to faulty or overtaxed wiring, malfunctioning lighting, cords, spaces heaters or electric blankets/appliances. To prevent fires in the bedroom, double check outlets and wires to make sure they are in good working order. Don’t overload outlets and try to unplug devices when they’re not in use. If using a space heater, leave at least three feet from anything that could catch on fire like drapes or blankets. It is important to teach children about fire safety, as many bedroom fires are initiated by children experimenting with fire secretly in their bedrooms.
• Living Rooms: usually the location of a fireplace, this can cause an obvious fire concern. To ensure your fireplace does not cause a larger home fire, ensure your chimney is professionally cleaned each season. Investing in a fire screen can stop embers from escaping, and fireplaces should not be near drapery/blankets or anything that could catch fire (at least three feet).
• Attics and crawl spaces: not an issue for all homes, but these easily forgotten spaces are usually a site for electrical fires. It is important to check these spaces to ensure there are no faulty wires or previously done DIY work (especially if you are in an older home). It is worth it to have a professional come and check anything you’re not sure about.
• Laundry Rooms: dryers are the main culprit here. To prevent fires here, don’t overload your washer or dryer, leave room for your laundry to tumble in the machine. Clean the lint screen between every load and clean the dryer exhaust vent and ducts yearly. If you have plastic venting material, you can replace this with flexible metal venting material instead. Double check to make sure your appliances are plugged into outlets with the proper voltage.

Double check your fire/smoke alarms

Having a properly working fire alarm can make a huge difference. Many systems these days will do automatic monthly tests and will notify you if your battery is low (like the Nest system), but if you have an older system, ensure you are doing monthly tests and double checking battery life.

Invest in a fire extinguisher

Fire extinguishers can be really handy at stopping a fire from getting out of hand. You can purchase a smaller fire extinguisher to keep handy (we suggest the kitchen), like the Amerex B420 (available on Amazon). Just remember that fire extinguishers do need to be serviced or replaced yearly. If you don’t have the space for a fire extinguisher or do not want to deal with maintenance, you can also invest in a fire extinguishing spray (like The Fireman Fire Extinguishing Spray also available on Amazon).

Have a fire escape plan

It may seem like overkill, but having a fire escape plan and having all members of your family well versed can be a matter of life or death. To create an escape plan, draw a floor plan of your home showing all possible exits from each room. It helps to have a main escape route and an alternate escape route from each room (especially bedrooms). Choose a meeting place outside the home that is safe and where you can call 911 from. It is important to practice your plan so everyone in the family knows where to go. We know this isn’t always feasible, but do your best!

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