USFA states: "The residential structure fire problem represented approximately 84 percent of all fire deaths and 79 percent of the injuries to civilians in 2007. Between 1998 and 2007, there were an estimated 397,650 fires annually resulting in 3,040 civilian deaths and 14,960 injuries each year."
Every time a huge thunderstorm comes up I start praying my home doesn't get struck by lightning! In the middle of the storm I promise myself that I will plaster my roof with lightning rods. After 23 years, still haven't done that. But apparently that is not how the huge majority of home fires start. And most residential fire deaths happen because of breathing in toxic gases, not being burned. I have gathered the following tips from the experts to share with you because prevention is the key.
Never smoke in bed. And never leave a burning cigarette in an ashtray.
Do not place anything within close proximity of heaters, stoves, or your fireplace.
Do not have too many appliances plugged into an electrical outlet.
Examine all electrical cords and extension cords for damaged and frayed areas.
Teach even very young children about the dangers of playing with fire.
Purchase smoke alarms and fire extinguishers for each floor of your home.
Ah, now a couple of personal stories. We had done all of the above, but one year my adolescent son, being taught by his adolescent male friend, was having a great time spraying something like hair spray and then lighting the fumes. I can't remember the details, thank goodness, because this was many years ago. But they started this activity on my driveway but then moved down the street so they wouldn't get caught by any of the parents. The first thing I knew about this is my son running trying to get my hose and fill a bucket. Apparently the pine straw island separating two of my neighbors' homes had caught on fire, was burning the bushes, and traveling through the pine straw towards one of the homes!
My husband and I start running, the neighbors from both homes were already outside, and we all managed to put the fire out with only one bush totaled, and one that would take quite some time to recover. The totaled bush cost my son over $50 out of his savings. And we all learned that no matter how much you preach to your kids, and how smart you think they are, some lessons come pretty hard.
A story I will tell on myself: The smoke alarm in my kitchen needed a new battery. We took the old battery out to keep that annoying chirp from continuing, and for a few days it just laid around waiting for the new battery. So one day I bring home lots of plastic bags of groceries, plop them down on the only clean surface in the kitchen, the smooth glass cooktop, and go upstairs to do whatever for a few minutes, or maybe more than a few minutes! I come downstairs, my kitchen is full of smoke, no flames yet, there's melted plastic bag, and smoldering groceries. I yell at my husband, who was outside, and we managed to clean up the mess before any real damage was done. What had happened was I bumped one of the controls, which heated up a unit, and there was absolutely no warning any of this was going on because...no smoke alarm. We were within very few minutes of actual flames. What a coincidence: Alarm not working, and a stupid mistake.
There really is a danger in becoming complacent. Change the smoke alarm battery like we're told to do, every time Daylight Savings changes. Remember, Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!"