Fire safety is a much neglected feature of the modern home. Yet without taking the proper precautions, you could return home one day and find your once proud house is replaced by a mountain of rubble and ash. Worse still, a fire could start when you’re asleep, and without the requisite alarm system or escape planning, the smoke could claim you or anyone else in your house. Here we will look at some of the fire safety precautions you should take in your home, including the prevention of fires, how to escape a fire and how to educate your kids on the dangers of fires.

The most basic step in fire safety is prevention. According to official government fire safety website direct.gov, more than half of accidental fires started at home occur because of unsafe cooking measures. One of the most common mistakes made is allowing your attention to become diverted away from the cooker when it’s in use. Fires can start in a heartbeat, and spread at an alarming rate so always keep focused when you are using the cooker. Never use it if you are under the influence of alcohol, and avoid wearing loose clothing as it could easily catch fire. It would also be a good idea to include a fire blanket in your kitchen in case a fire does break out. Fire blankets are excellent for dealing with blazes before they get out of control.

Fires can sometimes start even when the greatest care has been taken. With this in mind, it is vital to determine an escape route for you and any other occupants of your house. Fires and the ensuing smoke can sometimes cause panic and confusion. Therefore, when you are making an escape plan, choose your normal entry and exit points (front or back door) as your first choice escape route. Have a back up route in mind in case the first one is blocked by flames and always keep these exits free from obstructions. Ensure that everyone in the house knows the escape plan clearly and be sure to make allowances for old and infirm occupants.

Children are fascinated by fire at a young age, so they need to be warned about the dangers it brings. As well as obvious things like never allowing them near matches or lighters, you should also teach them to inform you when they see these things lying around. Forbid them to turn on electrical appliances or cookers also. It is an unfortunate fact that you must initially teach children to associate fire with danger and also to get them to respect it.

Of course a smoke alarm should be in every home in case a fire does start but the above fire safety measures should help you go a long way towards ensuring that no fires start in the home, and if they do that you will know how to deal with it. Careful cooking, a well organised escape route and teaching your children not to do dangerous things with fire will hopefully ensure that the alarm doesn’t have reason to be set off.