Fire Safety Throughout Your West Hartford House

11/25/2020 (Permalink)

Knowing the dangerous spots in your West Hartford home—and taking simple safety measures—can help prevent fire damage from occurring.

Every year, there are upwards of 350,000 home fires in our country, and the results can range from inconvenient to disastrous. Avoid fire damage and destruction by knowing the areas of your home that pose the greatest risks—and following our tips to prevent a fire from starting.

Your Kitchen

About half of all house fires begin in the kitchen, so be especially careful when using your cooking and other appliances.

Oven and Stovetop

• Most fires start here, so keep these appliances as clean as possible to prevent greasy residues from becoming fuel.
• Stay in the kitchen when cooking and don’t leave pots and pans unattended on the stovetop.
• Keep fabric, paper and other flammable items away from sources of heat.

Toaster or Toaster Oven

• Stay in the room when you are toasting.
• Regularly clean crumbs from your toaster.

Microwave

• Never microwave flammable materials, including aluminum foil, certain plastic containers (check the bottom markings) and Styrofoam.

Dishwasher

• Heating elements in an older dishwasher can overheat and spark a fire, so have yours inspected or replace it.

Your Living and Family Rooms

Living and family rooms contain many flammable objects, including furniture, curtains and drapes, lamps and electronics—and many of these newer items burn hotter and faster than those made 20 or 30 years ago.

Candles

• Don’t leave the room when burning a candle.
• Always fully extinguish the flame.
• Keep children away from candles.
• Keep candles away from flammable items.

Fireplace

• Annual maintenance of your fireplace is essential. Call a certified chimney sweep to clean, inspect and repair any damage.
• Use a metal or glass fireplace screen to keep sparks from flying out, and keep rugs away from the hearth area.
• Fully extinguish the flames and properly dispose of the ashes.

Your Bedrooms

Your home’s bedrooms should be sanctuaries, but because they contain so many flammable objects—mattress, bedding, curtains, clothing—they can quickly become an inferno.

Smoke Detector and Escape Plan

• Install a detector inside each bedroom, test it each month and replace the batteries each year.
• Develop, communicate and practice a plan to escape a fire.

Mattress

• Mattresses made prior to 2007 may not be flame retardant, so consider replacing yours.

We’re Here for You

The team at SERVPRO of West Hartford has specialized training and experience in fire restoration and cleanup, as well as natural disaster and storm damage cleanup, water damage and mold remediation, and chemical and biohazard cleanup. Call SERVPRO of West Hartford (860.206.6141) any time.

If your home or business suffers damage from a fire, call SERVPRO of West Hartford today at 860.206.6141

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SERVPRO publishes educational articles on how you can protect your home and business from fire, water, mold, sewage, storm, natural disaster and other damage.

SERVPRO of West Hartford
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If your home or business suffers damage from a fire, call SERVPRO of West Hartford today at 860.206.6141