Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 10, October 2003

Copyright 2003 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article below in your research. Be sure to cite the Seattle Sun as your source.

AROUND THE HOME:

October is 'Fire Safety Month'

for homeowners

By MATT MAURY

Fire safety starts for us at a young age. Whether it's reading books like "Clifford The Fire House Dog," "Curious George at the Fire Station, " and "The Fire Cat," or it's the schoolroom visits of local fire department personnel with "Sparky, the Fire Dog," the subject of household fires becomes an important issue to us at an early age.

With October being "Fire Safety Month," many students will again be hearing about the subject at school. But, for homeowners, it's a subject that we often overlook in our daily routines. This might be a good time to put a yearly plan in place, reviewing these items:

Smoke Alarms

Use the "test" button to check alarms every few months and, for those with batteries, replace them once a year. A good reminder is to do this each fall on the weekend when changing clocks back to standard time. Vacuum bugs and dust out of the alarms regularly, also.

As alarms get old, they become inefficient in detecting smoke. Manufacturers recommend that ionization alarms (as opposed to photoelectric ones) be replaced every 10 years, and many are now "expiration dating" their alarms.

Electrical Wiring

A common cause of residential fires is electrical overloaded circuits, extension cords, old plug-in receptacles, etc. We keep buying wonderful, new electric appliances and then plug them into electrical systems that were designed for the expected appliance loads at the time our homes were built. If receptacles or cords get hot, if lights flicker or dim at times, if outlets are "dead," if fuses with higher capacity have been substituted for the original ones in old fuse boxes, then there is a fire just waiting to happen. An inspection by a licensed electrician should be a high priority.

A number of other fire prevention steps can also be taken a homeowner. Exposed wires should be covered. Broken switchplates should be replaced. Light bulbs should never be of greater wattage than that for which the lamp or fixture was designed. Lampshades should never be close to bulbs. All bulbs should be covered so that nothing can accidentally come into contact and begin burning. This is particularly true in garages, basements and storage areas, where inexpensive, open sockets have been installed.

Clutter

We've heard how spontaneous combustion can start a fire in a pile of oily rags, but there are also many home fires that are started or fueled by just plain clutter. Regular clean up, both inside and outside, the home is a good method of fire prevention. Additionally, plantings should be trimmed back from a home, as well as away from any power lines.

With summer over, it's time to be sure that all the flammables are stored safely away in metal containers as they should be year-round! Make sure that lawn mower gas can is where it can't be knocked over accidentally. Better yet, empty it.

Fire Extinguishers

Every home should have at least one high-quality fire extinguisher, capable of handling combustion, grease and electrical fires. Less than $50 buys a good one at most hardware and full-line discount stores. It should be "out & available" and everyone in the household should be trained to use it. "Pull the pin, point the nozzle, and press the trigger."

Fire Escape Routes

As homes have become more secure, to prevent unwanted entries, they have also become harder to exit, in case of fire. Make sure windows can be opened, especially in bedrooms. If there are security bars on lower floor or basement windows, assure that they can be released from the inside or replace them with ones that can. There should be two paths of exit from every room in the house.

Mark The Home

Time is of the essence in controlling a fire. To help firefighters find a home quickly, it needs to be clearly marked. Be sure that house numbers can be read from the street. They should be large and not blocked by any plantings. When a home isn't clearly visible from the street, numbers should be painted on the curb. And, in cases where the best entry to a house is from an alley, or the house is difficult to otherwise find, invite the local fire department to visit. "An ounce of prevention."