In the face of an emergency, it can be difficult to think of exactly what to do. That is why it is so important to have already devised a plan for any circumstance. If something does happen, a person can easily resort to a predetermined plan without having to put much thought into what needs to happen.
One such emergency is what to do in the event of a structural fire, and October is Fire Prevention Month. In honor of that, Eddie Ivy with Ivy Consulting Group offered a variety of tips to help others be prepared and possibly prevent the spread of a fire in the home in case an emergency ever arises.
Preparation
One thing people can do is have different things available to use that can warn about a possible fire.
“Every home should have working smoke detectors, and they need to have the batteries in them,” informed Eddie. “You want to have working smoke detectors throughout your home and sleeping area, not just outside the bedroom but also in the bedroom.”
Along with functioning smoke alarms, people will also want to have something to quickly put out small fires if they see one.
“Every home should have a working fire extinguisher and first aid kit,” advised Eddie. “Honestly, it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to have a good first aid kit that you can stop the bleeding or take care of those emergencies at home until more help can get there. The fire extinguisher would need to be near the kitchen because that’s one of the greatest areas for a fire starting.”
Some things to prepare for the event of a fire are simple lifestyle decisions, such as whether or not to close the bedroom door when sleeping.
“Sleeping with the doors closed to the bedroom is a positive thing because if the fire starts in the kitchen or another part of the house, the smoke doesn’t get in the bedroom,” stated Eddie. “You get the advantage more of the smoke detector in the hallway that hopefully wakes you up before the smoke gets into the bedroom so that you have time to get out and get to safety.”
Another way to prepare is to simply pay close attention to different things that are known to start fires.
“People should be careful with candles, plug in warmers, and those wax melt things. They’re better now than they used to be, but they have been known to cause fires in the past,” declared Eddie. “General fire safety includes things like not overloading the receptacle. Don’t put 25 things in a three way outlet. Putting too many things in a receptacle can overload it. Don’t daisy-chain extension cords or power strips so that it doesn’t overload it. Also, don’t run extension cords under the carpet or rugs because you can’t see if there is wear and tear on the outside and the insulation of the cord breaks down.”
With cooler weather approaching, how to use space heaters and generators appropriately is also a way to prepare to prevent a structural fire.
“Obviously space heaters are a concern. Try to keep them away from flammable things like curtains, clothing, and furniture,” proclaimed Eddie. “If you’re using a space heater in the intent that it’s designed for, then you want to have a three foot area around it that’s clear of anything that could get too hot and catch fire. Keep it on a hard surface where it can’t tip over and cause a fire.”
Most of the preparation is simply not doing things that you know have a possibility to start a fire, but some of it is also having a knowledge of how to do things to help take control and slow down a fire.
“Don’t store gasoline or other flammable things near a hot water heater with a power light because the vapors can travel and start a problem. Little things like that can make a big difference,” informed Eddie. “Know where to turn off the utilities to your house. Turning off the gas or power can sometimes actually help stop the fire so you can control it.”
While most people think about preparing for a fire by doing things to prevent it to start with, they don’t always consider what to do to prepare for what happens if there is an active fire and they lose their belongings.
“If there is a fire where you have a loss, then it’s important to keep an inventory of your home,” advised Eddie. “With technology like it is now, you can have digital photos and copies of all your important papers, such as family papers, insurance documents, bank records, and things like that. Take pictures throughout your house so you can see everything you have in the room. If something does happen and you have to create a list of things that were in your house for the insurance company, you have something to look back and at start from. You may want to store important documents somewhere offsite so that if something happens, you’ll still have those things where you can start to rebuild.”
What to do if you think there may be a fire
Not all fires start in the kitchen from various cooking mishaps. Sometimes it may start in other ways and may be able to be found and stopped early on if a person just knows when and how to check.
“A fire could be electrical, so if you smell something, investigate it,” expressed Eddie. “No matter what it smells like, such as rubber burning or insulation in the walls, things put off a different smell. Sometimes you can hear the fire caught in the wood in the walls. If you smell or hear anything, put the back of your hand against the wall and feel around that receptacle for heat. If you have a receptacle that is discolored, check that out. You may need to have an electrician come out and look at it or replace a receptacle if you notice it is getting discolored.”
What to do if there is a fire in the kitchen from cooking
The kitchen is the number one place that fires typically start. The decisions a person makes when there is a fire started from cooking can make a huge difference in the results of a person’s health and the progression of the fire.
“If you do have a stove fire or kitchen fire, there are a lot of things you can use to put that out,” described Eddie. “You can use baking soda, salt, or flour in the pan, and it’ll help put the fire out. You can take a bigger lid and slide it across to pot to cut off the oxygen, but protect your hand the best you can with a towel or something when putting it on there. Use your fire extinguisher; it’s going to make a mess, but it’s better to clean it up than let the fire go.”
There are some things that should be avoided if a fire starts while cooking.
“Don’t throw water on the fire. It’s just going to spread the fire and make it worse,” proclaimed Eddie. “If there is a grease fire, that is where you want to use baking soda, flour, salt, or a larger lid over the pot. Please don’t grab the pot and try to go out of the house with it. As you’re walking, you’re excited and moving faster than you realize trying to get out. The air fans the flames back up and can burn your arms. If there is a grease product in the pan and you trip, that grease can come back on you, and then you have a burn injury plus can spread the fire.”
What to do if there is a house fire
If a fire starts elsewhere in the house or isn’t able to be caught as quickly while cooking, there are things that a person is able to do. No matter what, the primary objective during a fire is the safety of all the residents.
If the fire is small enough, then there is a possibility that it can be taken care of before too much damage happens.
“If the fire is a small fire and you have a fire extinguisher that you can use to fight it, then fight it,” said Eddie. “Don’t put yourself in harm’s way to fight a fire if it’s too big for an extinguisher, though. Portable extinguishers are only for the beginning phase of a fire and can put out a small fire.”
Not everyone has had to use a fire extinguisher, so there is an easy way to remember the steps in case it is ever needed.
“The acronym for using a fire extinguisher is P.A.S.S.: pull the pin, aim the nozzle or hose, squeeze the trigger, and sweep at the base of the fire away from you,” explained Eddie. “If you don’t know how to use a fire extinguisher, reach out to your fire department or someone and ask them to show you how to use it. That’s something that your local fire department can do. The fire departments around here are very good. They’re trained and very equipped.”
For bigger fires, the main goal is to find a safe way to exit and resist the urge to save valuables from the house.
“Call 911 as soon as you can. We understand the importance of your valuable and family heirlooms and all, but if the house if on fire, please don’t put yourself in harm’s way and get trapped trying to get those because that makes the situation worse. The fire departments do their best to get there in a timely manner,” declared Eddie. “You will want to know more than one way out of every room. If you’re in your bedroom and hear smoke detectors, feel the door before you open it. If the door is hot, then don’t open it because that tells you the fire is near and you would need to use an alternate escape route, such as the window. If the door is cool, you can open it to see what is going on. If you see a fire, you need to get out of the house and stay out.”
There are multiple ways to be prepared to handle an emergency situation like a house fire. By being prepared and knowing how to handle the smaller situations, it could save lives, homes, and help provide more time and assistance for the local volunteer firefighters who respond to the scene.
