OSEA Safety Blog

House fires are one of the scariest events that a home owner can face. Many times house fires start in the middle of the night, in places that allow them to grow before being noticed such as a basement. Thankfully, due to fire safety awareness and products, the number of house fires has decreased by almost 50% - as of 1980 - but still affect a high number of homes in the U.S. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, 352,000 residential homes were damaged due to a fire, causing nearly 3000 deaths and $5.7 billion in damages in 2016 alone. So how can we prevent any more fires from occurring in our homes?

Let’s start with the basics. As a homeowner, you want to make sure you have a fire evacuation plan in case of a fire. Some things to include in your evacuation plan are:

• Have two exit points
• Create a meeting spot where everyone can meet up - make sure the meeting spot is off the property, preferably across the street
• When there is smoke, stay low! Crawl until you are out of the house
• Close all windows & doors, if possible, to reduce the fire from growing
• Call 911 immediately!

Knowing how to fight a fire is a good precaution, however, knowing how to prevent one can save you from a fire. A few fire prevention tips to remember and apply are:

• Have a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detecter on each level of your living area
• Change batteries as needed (good rule of thumb is every six months)
• Have a fire extinguisher located in an accessible area
• Unplug any unused electronics
• Update any old appliances & electrical wiring

Fire safety should be a high priority to everyone; homeowners, renters, etc. Be proactive rather than reactive and you could save yourself and your family from a potential disaster!