While fires in homes and residential buildings are somewhat rare in America, we probably all know at least one family who has been affected by a house fire. The U.S. Fire Administration reports that each year from 2018 to 2020 an average of 1,900 fatal residential fires occurred in the United States. Whether a fire is caused by a heat source, cooking, electrical malfunction, open flame, lightning strike, or plain carelessness, the outcome can be equally devastating.
It’s easy to overlook home fire safety and write it off as something that is unlikely to happen, as long as we’re careful. Many people spend inordinate amounts of time thinking about home security, and skip right over a fire preparedness plan. I think this is a mistake. As with any crisis planning, the key to residential fire readiness is to identify your threats and make a response plan well before a crisis actually happens.
Let’s cover some basic tips for keeping your family secure in the case of a residential fire.
#1 Check Your Smoke Detectors
This one may seem obvious, but it’s easy to overlook. According to the U.S. Fire Administration’s report, 41.3% of fatal fires happened while residents were asleep. Only 32.7% of homes affected by fatal residential fires definitively had smoke detectors present.
Have you ever unplugged a chirping smoke detector and forgotten about it for days or weeks? We probably all have, but disconnecting this critical early warning device could be a fatal mistake. The most important starting point for your fire safety plan is making sure that your smoke detectors are in good working order.
Take the time to regularly – at least several times a year – check your smoke detectors to ensure that they have fresh batteries and that they are working properly. If you live in a home that is older than 10 years, keep in mind that smoke detectors have a lifespan of only 8-10 years. After that, it’s time to replace them. Don’t wait for a malfunction to buy new ones. They are cheap insurance that could save your life.
#2 Keep Fire Extinguishers Handy
Hopefully you already have at least one fire extinguisher handy in your home. If not, it’s time to buy one, or several. Fire extinguishers follow an A-B-C-D-K rating system, and it’s important to pay attention to these ratings depending on your application.
- “A” is for ordinary materials like cloth, wood, and paper.
- “B” is for combustible and flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, and oil.
- “C” is for electrical appliances and tools
- “D” for flammable metals
- “K” is for vegetable oils and animal fats
For residential use, an A-B-C fire extinguisher is appropriate.
Fire extinguishers also come in a variety of sizes and weights. It’s best to buy the largest fire extinguisher you can handle safely and effectively.
#3 Have a Fire Escape Plan
We’ve all done fire drills at school and in the workplace, but we rarely rehearse the same kind of plans at home. If you woke up in the middle of the night to a raging fire, what would you do? If you have children, how would you get them out of the house?
Whether you live in an apartment, one-story home, two-story home, condo, or town-home, you need to have a plan to get out of your residence if a fire gets out of control. The plan for your household will be specific to your family and the type of building you live in, but every good plan should have a clear course of action, and backup plans if plan-A doesn’t work.
Your escape plan should take into account several scenarios, such as the origin and location of the fire. If you live in a two-story house, what happens if a fire breaks out upstairs versus downstairs? Is there a chance that a fire could separate you from your children? If you live in an apartment, what are your fire escape options? What if your primary escape route is blocked by a fire? These are the kinds of contingencies that need to be taken into account when you make your plan.
Once you’ve developed a fire escape plan, make sure to discuss it with your family so that everyone is on the same page. It’s a good idea to first discuss the plan with your spouse or partner, separate from any children. Once the adults in the household understand the plan, you can explain it to your children in a helpful way, without causing fear.
The last step is to practice your plan so that everyone can write it to memory. This will dramatically improve performance during a real emergency.
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Parting Thoughts on Fire Safety
Hopefully a residential fire is something you and your loved ones never experience. But as with all forms of insurance, readiness for a home fire is something you really can’t afford to live without.
