4 Facts About House Fires and How to Best Protect Your Family
1. Half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 pm and 7 am when most people are asleep.
The facts: Fatal house fires in the night occur when smoke detectors are not properly placed throughout the home and the occupants are not warned of the potential danger.
Protect Your Family: Smoke alarms should be placed in every bedroom and in the hallway outside each sleeping area. When installing smoke alarms, choose smoke alarms that communicate with each other so if one alarm sounds they all will. It is also imperative to make and frequently practice an escape plan.
2. Cooking equipment is the leading cause of home fire injuries.
The facts: US Fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 156,600 cooking related fires. Unattended cooking was a factor in 1/3 of reported home cooking fires. Another leading factor in 17% of cooking related fires was failure to clean ovens or rotisseries.
Protect Your Family: When cooking, make sure to never leave the oven turned on if you leave or leave the flames on if you need to step away from the oven. Since 17% of cooking related fires are due to unclean devices, make sure to regularly clean any grease or oil spills as they occur.
3. Three out of five home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
The facts: Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in home fires in half. Research shows that in house fires considered large enough to activate the smoke alarm, a hardwired alarm operated 93% of the time, proving more effective the battery powered alarms. Most smoke alarms fail to operate because batteries are missing, disconnected or dead.
Protect Your Family: Update the smoke alarms in your home to hardwired smoke alarms to increase the effectiveness. Note: only qualified electricians should install hardwired smoke alarms. If you are unable to do so, you should test battery operated smoke alarms monthly and replace the batteries each time the time changes. Make sure to read the manufacture’s instructions to better understand the life of the alarm your purchased.
4. Candles caused approximately 12,900 home fires and 140 home fire deaths.
The facts: On average, there are 29 home candle fires reported daily and nearly three in five candle fires start when things that can burn are too close to the candle. Another factor in candle fires, is that in 11% of fires falling asleep was a factor.
Protect Your Family: When lighting a candle, make sure to clear the surroundings of the candle from any possible flammable items. If candles are lit and you feel as though you might fall asleep or are beginning to feel tired, it is best to blow out the candles as a precaution.
About AmeriClean, Inc.
AmeriClean, Inc was established in 1986 by Bob Eriks in a small warehouse as a provider of Fire Damage Restoration for Northwest Indiana. Fast forward to today and AmeriClean’s services include Carpet, Upholstery, Air Duct, Area Rug, Ceramic Tile Cleaning; as well as: Water Damage Restoration, Fire Damage Restoration and Mold Remediation. With 30 years of experience, AmeriClean, Inc. is now a leading name in residential and commercial properties for cleaning and restoration needs. For more information, visit our website or call 800.654.9101.
