Three Pro-Tips For Avoiding Fire Damage In Your Home Or Business

A fire is one of the most destructive forces that can occur within a home or business. Every possible step you can take to make a fire less likely to occur is well worth the effort when you consider the consequences. Here are three simple, but very effective tips for fire prevention according to our restoration experts at Alert Disaster in Bakersfield.

Test Your Smoke Alarms

A fire alarm that has dead batteries or isn’t working properly won’t do you any good. Make sure that you take the time to test each of your smoke detectors every couple months. This may seem like overkill, but keeping a fire alarm in each room of your home is critical for the early detection of fires. Thus, checking each of your smoke alarms every couple months is well worth the effort. 

Have Fire Extinguishers On Hand

Having fire extinguishers at the ready is an easy way to mitigate fire damage if you are home when a fire starts. It is recommended that you have at least one fire extinguisher for each level of your home. However, it is best to keep more than that. You never know when an extra fire extinguisher placed in your bathroom, bedroom, or living room can save you from a major disaster. Just having fire extinguishers, however, is not enough. Make sure that you know how to use them so you don’t have to figure it out during a fire. Also, make sure that your extinguishers are up to date. Most fire extinguishers last between 5 and 15 years so you don’t need to replace them often, but you do need to make sure that you replace them. 

Be Careful in the Kitchen

According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking equipment is the leading cause of home structure fires and home fire injuries. Fortunately, almost all kitchen fires are preventable. The vast majority are caused by carelessness and inattention. Here are three tips for avoiding kitchen fire. 

• Keep the handles of your pots and pans turned inward so they don’t reach over the edge of the stove. This will make it so you can’t accidentally bump the handle and send the hot contents spilling out onto the stove. 
• Never leave a hot cooking surface unattended. Whenever, you are cooking with heat, you should be committed to remaining in the kitchen until the heat is turned off. It is easy to get lax with this over time which is one reason why kitchen fires are so prominent. If you have to leave the room for some reason, then simply take your pots and pans off of the heat until you come back. 
• In the same vein, make sure that you keep your stove free of any obstructions that can overheat like cookbooks, towels, napkins, and clothes. 

We hope you find these tips helpful for avoiding fire damage in your home or business. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at Alert Disaster in Bakersfield for any fire damage restoration needs you may have.