Fire Prevention Week in Cookeville

10/6/2015 (Permalink)

October 4-10 is Fire Prevention week and when it comes to house fires, SERVPRO of Cookeville/Carthage/Smithville/Woodbury wants you to be safe and prepared. Here are some tips on fire safety provided by the National Fire Prevention Association so you can be SERVPRO READY:

Test your smoke alarms – According to NFPA 60% of reported home fire deaths from 2007 to 2011 were homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Usually, smoke alarms fail to operate due to batteries missing, they’re disconnected, or they are dead. Checking to make sure your smoke alarms work could save you and your family’s life.

Plan an Escape Route- Only about one-third of Americans have developed and practiced a home fire escape plan. Having an escape plan during a fire is essential so you and your family know exactly where to go during an emergency. Make the meeting location somewhere memorable such as the mailbox. Make alternate routes as well in case your original route is blocked.

Cooking-Two of every five home fires start in the kitchen. Unattended cooking is a huge factor to these fires and can be extremely dangerous. Make sure your stove is being supervised at all times to avoid cooking fires.

Electrical Fires- These types of fires can be caused from various electrical equipment such as washers or dryers, fans, portable or stationary space heaters, air conditioning equipment, and water heaters. This equipment should be monitored frequently to ensure fires do not occur. Especially remember to turn off electrical equipment such as space heaters when leaving your home to avoid fires.

Candles- Burning scented candles during fall may bring the spirit of the season to your home, but they can also be dangerous if left unattended. On average, there are 32 home candle fires reported per day. Blow out your candles before going to bed and do not leave them in areas where they can easily catch other objects on fire.

SERVPRO of Cookeville/Carthage/Smithville/Woodbury wants to ensure you take fire safety precautions during this week as well as throughout the rest of the year. If your home faces damage due to a fire, call SERVPRO of Cookeville/Carthage/Smithville/Woodbury at (931) 528-9292. We will clean up any fire damage in your home and make it look "Like it never even happened."