Give Your Home A Fire Safety Check-up

At the FireSafeStore, we hope you never have to test the protection of your fireproof safe but consider this : in 2002, in the United States there were 389,000 reported home fires.

A fireproof safe is one way you can prevent total loss of important property. Consider this statistic....there was $5.9 billion in direct property damage in the home fires reported in 2002.  A fireproof safe is one way to protect jewelry and other valuables..

We hope that the following information drawn from the National Fire Protection Association will help you do a fire safety check up of your home.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries year-round. The leading cause of fatal home fires was smoking. However, in December, January and February, smoking and heating equipment caused similar shares of fire deaths. Below are just a few things you should check in your home that can help you avoid a fire.

Cooking

  --  Keep young children and pets away from the stove even if it means keeping the door to the kitchen closed or installing a gate.
  --  Always have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
  --  Keep combustible material away from your cooking area -- kitchen towels, food wrappers, etc.
  --  Do not leave the kitchen when there is food cooking on the stove top and carefully watch food cooking in the oven.
  --  Keep pot handles turned in toward the stove so they are less likely to be bumped.
  --  Avoid cooking while wearing loose clothing and especially loose long sleeves. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire.

 

Children

  --  Matches and lighters should be stored where children cannot see or reach them... locking them up is the best option.
  --  If you use lighters, buy ones with child-resistant features.

 

Clothes Dryers

  --  Have your dryer installed by a professional.
  --  Gas dryers should be checked yearly by a professional.
  --  Never run your dryer without a lint filter. Clean the lint filter every load of laundry. Also clean the area around the filter.
  --  Do not run the dryer when you are away from the home.
  --  Keep the area near the dryer clear of any materials which could catch fire such as newspapers or cardboard boxes.

 

Candles

  --  Never have candles near combustible objects such as curtains, books and Christmas trees.
  --  Avoid candles tipping over by having good solid candle holders made out of noncombustible material.
  --  Do not have a candle lit and then leave the room or go to sleep.
  --  Place candles where they cannot be knocked over by children or pets.

 

Electrical

  --  If you have small children, install plastic safety covers on outlets.
  --  Follow instructions which come with appliances regarding appropriate outlets.
  --  Discard or repair any electrical device with a frayed or loose cord.
  --  Avoid overloading outlets.

 

Heaters

  --  Whenever you buy a new heater/furnace have a qualified technician install it or check that the installation is correct.
  --  A professional should check yearly any of the following and clean as necessary: all furnaces, wood stoves, coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, chimney connectors.
  --  When shopping for a heater, select ones with automatic shut-off features.

  
If you are ready to shop at the FireSafeStore, we are ready to offer you any assistance you need to select a fireproof safe. Please feel free to call us at 1 (877) 442-9964 or email us.