Fire Safety Is Critical

When dealing with fire there is nothing more important than your safety. People try different materials and methods to build their fires. They also need to know the best practices incase the fire begins to get out of hand. Annual chimney sweeps and maintenance inspections are the best start to having your unit safe. If you need to schedule your appointment call Fire Safe Chimney Sweep today!

Know how to burn properly and be familiar with the basics in fire safety to keep your household safe.

Know how to burn properly and be familiar with the basics in fire safety to keep your household safe.

How to Build and Light your Fire

It is important to build a safe fire that will also burn well. The first step is to make sure that the wood you choose is dry. You can usually tell if it is dry by the end wood grains being cracked or if the pieces are hollow sounding when hit together. Also, use a soft dry wood as your kindling. If you are using a new substance to build your fire, ask friends or have someone help you incase something was to go wrong.

Lighting a fire can also turn dangerous. Oftentimes people put too much in the fire to help start the flames and they become out of control. Aside from having the correct materials you need to make sure that your fire has enough oxygen in it. The oxygen acts as a moving fuel and circulates through the fire to keep it going.

Being Safe

If you have a fireplace make sure that everyone in the home knows to stay away from the open flames, providing supervision if needed. Do not place anything flammable, such as cleaner near the fire. If you do plan to have fires, make sure you have a working smoke alarm in multiple parts of the home. It is important to check these periodically – make checking batteries a regular activity. Many families do it when the time changes, so they don’t forget.

It is important to have a plan incase a fire breaks out. Many families put an escape plan in a centralized location and practice drills where all members of the home are sure to be prepared. When escaping in a fire make sure you try to breathe in the least amount of fumes as possible. Also, be sure to feel of the door before the handle to make sure the fire is not on the other side. The handle will be hot to touch and could leave burns. Lastly, never return to a burning building once you are out.