Are You FIRE Ready?… Extinguishing Risk In Your Home

Fires in the home can happen any time of year, leaving your valuables and, more importantly, your loved ones, at risk.

Luckily, there are numerous precautions you can take to ensure that, in the event of a fire, you’re prepared to manage the incident as required – before it’s too late.

No one is exempt from fire risks in their home and, while you may take action to minimise hazards, unprecedented events still occur.

In just a few minutes, what started as a small flame can spread, engulfing an entire property. While this is, of course, devastating in terms of the memories and tangible items lost, it can also all too quickly give rise to life-threatening conditions.

Don’t get caught out without a plan.

By taking various relatively straightforward steps now, you can lower the chances of significant damage being done or, at the very least, keep your loved ones safe if the worst does happen.

 1. Get Readily Accessible Fire Extinguishers

Many individuals underestimate the importance of making sure their home is equipped with fire extinguishers.

It’s suggested that, as a minimum, you have two medium-sized fire extinguishers located throughout your house. This helps to ensure that, if disaster strikes, an extinguisher will be easily accessible, allowing for a prompt response to the incident.

It’s also worth noting that, typically, the average person will find larger fire extinguishers difficult to operate. Thus, instead of just having one big extinguisher, opting for numerous medium-sized ones is usually a far more practical option.

 2. Install Smoke Detectors

Fires don’t discriminate – they can start in any room of your home without warning.

If you’ve only got smoke detectors in your main living areas, this could seriously hinder your ability to respond to incidents before they get out of control.

In such devastating, high-pressure circumstances, every minute counts.

The earlier you’re alerted of the issue at hand, the more time you’ll have to save yourself, your loved ones and your belongings.

By installing smoke detectors in numerous rooms, including bedrooms, you’ll be ready to take action quickly, so that you can prevent dangerous conditions from escalating.

3. Don’t Get Locked in

While home security is, of course, incredibly important, certain measures can make evacuating a property unnecessarily difficult.

In particular, the elderly are at risk of finding themselves unable to escape in the event of a fire. This is usually due to windows or doors that have been deadlocked, which makes a quick exit all but impossible.

Thus, it’s suggested that, if you’ve installed such security precautions, you leave a key in the door or window each night. At the very least, your key/s need to be readily accessible because, as mentioned, every minute counts when an incident occurs.

 4. Keep a Fire Blanket on Hand

Fire blankets are a necessity, especially in the kitchen.

This is because, often, household fires start on stovetops. In such instance, fats or oils ignite unexpectedly and, while your immediate response may be to throw water on the flame, this will just further aggravate the fire.

Keeping a fire blanket nearby is crucial, as it provides a quick, safe solution for controlling incidents of this nature. Simply turn off your gas or electricity, then carefully spread your fire blanket over the flames.

 5. Take Out Good Quality Insurance

With such a diverse range of policies available, it can be difficult to assess which insurance cover is suitable for your needs and circumstances.

By getting expert assistance from an insurance broker, you can ensure you’re well informed and fully aware of the options available to you.

For more information, or if you have any queries regarding the topics discussed in this article, please speak with Balance Advisors.

DISCLAIMER

Conditions apply for each policy and the information expected from you for a policy to trigger. Coverage may differ based on specific clauses in individual policies. Please ask your broker to explain the additional benefits and exclusions pertaining to your policy. The information provided is general advice only and does not take account of your personal circumstances or needs.