Home Improvement News Bureau

Fire Prevention And Safety Tips Could Save Your Life

Observing National Fire Prevention Week October 3 – 9, 2004

MONEY PIT NEWSBUREAU - September 15, 2004: National Fire Prevention Week, sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) since 1922, has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire.  While fact and fiction are mixed regarding the origin of the blaze that began October 8, 1871 and ended October 9, there’s no dispute about the devastation – it killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres.

Tom Kraeutler, host of the nationally syndicated home improvement radio show The Money Pit, and a home inspector for more than 20 years believes National Fire Prevention week is the perfect time for a whole home fire safety check.  “Each year there are nearly 390,000 reported home fires in the U.S. resulting in death, injury and property damage.  The key to preventing home fires and injuries comes down to planning, prevention and practice.”

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, the most common problems leading to fires are:  failing to clean heating appliances, placing combustibles too close to heating sources, flaws in construction or design and improper fuel use, like when substituting gasoline for kerosene in a space heater, a foolish and very dangerous practice.

To stay safe in the event of a fire, Kraeutler recommends that homeowners:

MAKE A PLAN – Draw a floor plan of your home.  Meet with everyone who lives in your home and talk about how you might get out if the fire was in different places.  “Move” the fire around and plan alternate escape routes on the paper.

MENTAL PREPARATION – Live and visualize the fire from every room in your home.  Go to each room, close your eyes and find the exit, then find a second one in case the first is not available.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE – Imagine what you would feel along the escape routes to determine if you were going the right direction to get out during a fire and couldn’t see.  Smoke is deadly – and it not only makes it difficult to breathe but to see.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY – Remind everyone in the family that in case of fire, DO NOT stay in the house, get out of the house and call 9-1-1 from a neighbor’s home.  Be sure that younger children know what to do in an emergency.

“It’s critical to stay low when escaping a fire,” warns Kraeutler.  “Standing up can be deadly as heat and toxic gasses fill a burning room from the top down.  It’s also good habit to sleep with bedroom doors closed.  This slows or prevents the spread of a fire as well as toxic gasses and smoke.

SMOKE DETECTORS CRITICAL - The NFPA reports that roughly 70 percent of home fire deaths result from fires in homes without smoke alarms or working smoke alarms.  Since one-quarter of all fires start during typical sleeping hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and more than one-half of all fire related deaths occur during this periods, a working smoking detector might be the only thing that averts tragedy. 

 “Smoke detectors do wear, out,” advises Debby Robinson, Kraeutler’s Money Pit co-host.  “If the ones you have are more than five years old, it might be time for a new one.”  Robinson explained that newer models also have updated features that you may want to consider, such as photoelectric sensors that are more sensitive to slow, smoldering fires. 

For about $30, dual sensor detectors are also available that combine the older ionic sensors which “see” fire with photoelectric sensors for greatest protection “If your budget is tight, don’t wait to save up for the more expensive units.  It’s most important to have working detectors on every level of your home and outside sleeping areas.  Ionic sensors alone are still effective and can be purchased for about $10,” adds Robinson. 

Another convenient feature is a reset or “silencer” button.  This allows you to shut down the detector for approximately 10 minutes during a nuisance alarm, like burned toast, then goes back to full alert.  Resetting your detector is a much better idea than removing the battery, which you may then forget to replace.

Robinson also cautioned that even hardwired detectors, those wired directly to the home’s electrical system, can wear out and need to be regularly checked.  “Be sure to check that the red light status light is flashing at regular intervals to show the unit is still working, she said.

“Remember that having working smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and keeping your heating system in check are critical in your fire-fighting defense,” offers Robinson.  “As the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense.  Preparing, planning, and practicing for fires ahead of time can mean the difference between serious injury or death, and surviving one of life’s most common tragedies.”

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