| Losing everything we own in a house fire is | | | | 'ABC' which is recommended for domestic use |
| devastating. Whether you rent or own the | | | | and deals with most type of burnable |
| home, the results of a house fire can leave a | | | | materials found in homes. |
| whole family feeling as if they have lost | | | | |
| their identity. | | | | Keep all your family photos, or whatever is |
| | | | precious to you, in a heavy leather |
| In today's society, our possessions represent | | | | briefcase. If you store them this way and |
| more to us than just the means to survive. It | | | | can't grab the briefcase as you run out of |
| is undisputable that even the toughest of us | | | | the house, it may survive a fire intact. |
| would feel an enormous sense of loss at being | | | | |
| made destitute by fire. Knowing that precious | | | | If you use a fireplace, ensure that the |
| things such as old family photographs are | | | | chimney is swept and inspected once a year. |
| often irreplaceable, it would make sense that | | | | If you live in an old house, or if you are |
| we would all go to great lengths to avoid a | | | | nervous about your wiring, pull out all the |
| house fire. | | | | plugs at night. 'Standby' is still using |
| | | | energy and therefore able to facilitate a |
| Yet every twenty seconds an American Fire | | | | fire. |
| Department responds to a fire somewhere in | | | | |
| the nation. Three quarters of all fires start | | | | Have an escape plan; it could be as simple as |
| in the home; 82% of all fire deaths occur in | | | | keeping a coil of rope by the inside of your |
| the home. There is a civilian fire death | | | | (upstairs) bedroom window. Keep a large towel |
| every 2 hours and a civilian fire injury | | | | and a bucket of water handy in case you need |
| every 23 minutes! Children aged less than | | | | to throw a wet towel over yourself or others |
| five years old are twice as likely as others | | | | to get out. Remember most fires happen at |
| to die in a fire. | | | | night and you will likely be in your bedroom. |
| | | | |
| Since smoke alarms have been introduced, fire | | | | According to a report from the Fire Marshal's |
| deaths have been cut in half, but many homes | | | | Public Fire Safety Council, 90% of |
| do not have an operational, connected and up | | | | residential fires are avoidable, and in some |
| to date smoke alarm. | | | | areas, as high as half the fires attended to |
| | | | had no fire alarm/smoke alarm system working. |
| Do you know how much a smoke alarm costs? | | | | They reported the three 'popular' causes of |
| Well under $50.00. While you are weighing up | | | | homes fires which become leading fire death |
| whether your life possessions are worth a | | | | scenarios: |
| $50.00 expenditure, here are a few | | | | |
| fire-prevention tips: | | | | Home fire caused by smoking materials that |
| | | | ignite upholstered furniture in a living area |
| If you hear a fire, or feel a hot door, do | | | | at night. Home fire caused by smoking |
| not open it. Just get out the window. | | | | materials that ignite bedding in a sleeping |
| | | | area at night. Home fire caused by cooking |
| A large percentage of fires are caused by hot | | | | equipment that is left unattended in the |
| oil in a fry pan. Keep a small fire | | | | kitchen at night. In these scenarios, a |
| extinguisher handy. It is a good idea to | | | | working smoke alarm can make the difference |
| familiarize yourself with how it works. It | | | | between life and death. |
| can be fairly daunting trying to calmly read | | | | |
| the 'how to' instructions when the flames are | | | | Possessions are often irreplaceable and |
| leaping at the instruction leaflet! | | | | children are always irreplaceable; if you are |
| | | | a parent of young children, do you have a |
| Make sure your fire extinguisher is a type | | | | smoke alarm? |