Pro-Active Fire Safety And Prevention Tips For Home & Business

How To Prevent Home And Business Fires

Exit Mold’s family-run business mission is to go beyond the facts and stats of home and business fires and instructing of such common knowledge fire protection safety rules as installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of one’s home, practicing a fire escape plan with the family, and maintaining a working fire extinguisher in kitchen area.  We have the experience to understand the emotional trauma that results from the devastation a fire can bring to otherwise happy lives! We know that with pro-active fire safety and prevention measures kept in the mind of homeowners, house fires can be prevented!

• Never leave children and lit candles unsupervised.
  
  

• Keep candles a minimum of one foot away from flammable and combustible items.
  
  

• Ensure the live Christmas tree is fresh, and the tree stands can be filled with water to keep the evergreen — ever green, not dry!
  
  

• Do not display the Christmas tree near the fireplace, heating vents, or radiators.
  
  

• Artificial Christmas trees should be fire retardant.
  
  
• Fireplaces should have a sturdy screen, and flammable liquids should never be used to start a fireplace fire. Fireplace ashes should cool completely before disposing of them in a metal bucket.
  
  
• Never leave the stovetop, toaster oven, microwave, or gas or electric oven unattended.
  
  
• Keep the kitchen counter near the stove clear of potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, kitchen towels, paper towels, and package wrappings. 
  
  

• Maintain an easily accessible fire extinguisher in the kitchen area of the home and business and install and maintain properly functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors throughout the home or business.
  
  

• Both residential homeowners and office and manufacturing property owners should have a qualified licensed electrician perform annual electrical inspections. Home and business fires are often caused by an electrical malfunction called an arc fault. Arc faults are caused by loose or damaged wire or cable connections causing electrical sparking inside walls, creating heat. An annual electrical system inspection can detect and prevent such arc faults by installing an arc fault circuit interrupter wall outlet or arc fault circuit interrupter in the circuit breaker box. 
  
  

• Make professional chimney cleaning and inspection an annual priority. The CSIA, Chimney Safety Institute of America, and the NFPA, National Fire Protection Association, urge homeowners to pay attention to cleaning and inspecting the household chimney, whether it is used regularly or not. (Santa will also be pleased!) Chimney cleanings remove a substance known as creosote that can be a fire hazard, clear obstructions in the chimney space that can bring carbon monoxide to the home, correct any cracks in the flue ling that would cause the combustible parts of the house to be exposed to extreme heat and start a fire. A chimney inspector will suggest a chimney cap to prevent the inhabitation of nature’s critters and look for signs of moisture and structural damage. 
  
  

• An important pro-active tip on how to prevent fire is an annual furnace cleaning and inspection. A furnace cleaning will ensure the furnace operates at peak efficiency and that the filter is clean to prevent the growth of mold, mildew, dust, and other contaminants that can affect a home’s air quality. Furnace inspections will include a tune-up of the burner assembly, heat exchanger, and other critical mechanical parts and detect any cracks and gas leaks that can potentially become a fire hazard.
  
  
  

Do not despair at the thought of becoming just another statistic for insurance company charts and reports! Contact the professional team of Exit Mold today to learn more about all our home restoration services — lead testing, lead paint removal, flood and water damage restoration, and mold assessment and remediation. If a home or business fire does occur or there is ‘only’ smoke damage, be assured that Exit Mold technicians are trained and certified in systematic best practices and procedures to restore the property to pre-damage condition as quickly as possible.