Home Electrical Fire Safety

Home fire sprinkler information from the US Fire Administration

• Fire sprinklers and smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a fire by 82%.
• The risk to firefighters is much less. Sprinklers reduce the heat, flame and smoke from a fire.
• Home fire sprinklers are more sensitive to heat than those found in businesses or industrial buildings. This means the fire will be detected much sooner.
• Home fire sprinklers only spray when the temperature in the room rises quickly. The sprinkler above the fire is the only one that sprays.
• Installing a home sprinkler system in a home under construction or being remodeled requires a little extra piping and labor and greatly increases the safety of residents.
• A sprinkler costs about $1.35 per square foot in a new home. This cost is about the same as upgraded cabinets or carpet.

The author of this content cannot be liable for any use or misuse of the contents. This is a guideline and is meant for information only.

Information on How to Prevent Fires by the U.S. Fire Administration and F.E.M.A.

Appliance and Electrical Fires:

• Always plug major appliances — refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers — directly into a wall outlet.
• Never use an extension cord with a major appliance. The extension cord can overheat and start a fire.
• Unplug small appliances when you are not using them.
• If the appliance has a cracked, damaged or loose cord, replace the appliance.
• Do not overload power strips.
• Avoid putting cords where they can be damaged or pinched, like under a carpet or rug.

Basement and Garage:

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from the Furnace, Water Heater and any other heat generating equipment.
• If you have oil, gas or wood-burning equipment in the basement, you should also have a carbon monoxide alarm installed in the basement.

Batteries:

• Stop using lithium-ion batteries if you notice an odor, change in color, too much heat, change in shape, leaking or odd noises.
• Don’t put lithium-ion batteries in the trash. Recycle them at your local battery recycling location.
• Don’t put lithium-ion batteries in direct sunlight or keep them in hot cars. This is a fire risk.

Cooking:

• Stand by your pan. If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so that no one can bump them or pull them over.
• Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop.

Heating:

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from all heat sources including fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, space heaters or candles.
• Turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.

Candles:

• Consider using battery-operated flameless candles, which can look, smell and feel like real candles.
• Use flashlights, not candles, if you have a power outage.
• Blow out candles when you leave a room or home, or when you go to bed.

By following the tips above you can make your home a safer place. Check out more tips for Fire Prevention at the U.S. Fire Administration

• The author of this content cannot be liable for any use or misuse of the contents. This is a guideline and is meant for information only.