Fire can devastate any home in a very short space of time. Aside from the hassle of losing your place to live, you’ll also suffer emotional trauma as many irreplaceable items are destroyed. These are usually sentimental items that simply can’t be replaced.
Of course, it may not be possible to complete avert the risk of a fire, but there are plenty of things you can do to prevent fires from happening and minimize the damage if they do occur. The risk of fire is high in Australia, it’s important to be prepared.
Smoke Detectors
The first thing every homeowner should put in their home is smoke detectors. You should have at least one per level of your home. They’re not going to prevent a fire from happening but they are going to alert you to the fact there is a fire.
Smoke detectors can literally save your life.
Smoke Curtains
Another great idea is to add smoke curtains. These are designed to channel the smoke and the fire, effectively directing the smoke out of your home and preventing the fire from spreading.
Used in conjunction with a smoke detector you’ll gain valuable time during which you can get you and your family out of the house.
You will need to speak to a professional to ensure these are installed in the right places, which will make them an effective safety measure.
Electrical Inspection
Electrical issues are one of the leading causes of fires. Pests can chew through the protective sheath, circuits can be overloaded, or time simply takes its toll. The result is wires can touch and that causes a short.
The short allows heat to build up in the wires and can ignite the surrounding material, that’s if the spark of the wires touching doesn’t.
Getting your electrics inspected at least once a year will help to ensure problems are spotted and resolved before a fire happens.
Escape Routes
When your house is on fire there will be a lot of smoke and this can be deadly. It also reduces your visibility, this means you may end up getting lost in your own home, no matter how well you think you know it. The problem is that you’ll be aware of the fire problem and will start to panic, this clouds your judgment and can lead to serious problems.
That’s why you need to install escape ladders, this gives you a route directly outside from the upper levels of your home. You should also devise your escape routes and practice them, this will increase your chances of sticking to them if the worst were to happen.
Extinguishers
It’s a good idea to have a couple of fire extinguishers in your home and to know how to use them. You can go to a local fire training course, or simply purchase an extra extinguisher to practice with.
Just remember they are not toys and water extinguishers should never be used on electrical fires.
