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