Did you know that most home fires start in the kitchen?
According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), cooking equipment is the leading cause of home fires in both Indiana and the rest of the United States — resulting in nearly 46% of all fires in home structures and 44% of civilian injuries because of fire.
Fortunately, simple steps can be taken to avoid kitchen fires in your own home. Interested in learning more about keeping your family and home safe from fire? Read on as we list the top three safety devices that will prevent fires in your kitchen and the rest of your home.
How Can I Protect My Home From Fire?
Fire protection starts with prevention. Ensure that you have the following three safety devices in your home (and in working order) at all times to prevent fires and subsequent injuries and home damage.
Smoke Alarms
You should have smoke alarms on every level of your house, in each bedroom, and outside each sleeping area. Test your smoke alarms once every month and replace the batteries once every year. Change out every smoke alarm entirely once every ten years.
There are two main types of smoke alarms: Stand-alone and wired/connected. The latter tend to be better for your home because they are safer. These types of connected smoke alarms link with one another and alert you to a fire sooner. Stand-alone fire alarms may be faulty because they rely solely on batteries. Furthermore, they do not connect with the other alarms to set them all off during a fire.
* Luxor Insurance advises you to check your smoke alarms as soon as possible to ensure you do not have a Kidde Dual-Sensor (photoelectric and ionization) smoke alarm — models PI2010 and PI9010. These models were recently recalled for failing to alert consumers to fire. Go here for more information.
Fire Extinguishers
Your home should have at least one portable fire extinguisher in your home for small fires that may erupt. Keep your fire extinguisher in an easily accessible place in your kitchen. There are different types of fire extinguishers. Read here to learn about them and to find the right one for your home.
If you ever need to use your fire extinguisher, remember the word PASS, which stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep. Learn more about using fire extinguishers here.
* If you already have a fire extinguisher in your home, Luxor Insurance advises that you check the model now. This Kidde fire extinguisher has been recalled.
CO Alarms
CO or carbon monoxide alarms are devices that monitor and detect carbon monoxide levels in your home. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that is colorless and odorless to humans, but it can be found in fumes produced by grills, gas ranges, stoves, small engines, furnaces, and other appliances and machines. Read here to learn more about CO poisoning and risks.
Every home should have a CO alarm. Put the alarm near where you sleep so that you’ll wake up should it go off in the night. Make it a habit to replace the batteries on your CO alarm every spring and fall when the time change occurs.
Luxor Insurance is dedicated to protecting our Fishers, IN clients and their families from fires that could cause serious injuries and damage. To learn more about fire safety tips for your home or the home insurance policies we offer, give us a call or contact us online today.
