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Its Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 9 to 15), so take a tour of your home today and make sure youre doing everything possible to protect your family from fire.
The National Fire Prevention Association has these sobering facts about home fires on its website.
One home structure fire was reported every 87 seconds in 2009.
An average of seven people die every day in a home fire.
In 2009, U.S. fire departments responded to 362,500 home structure fires, which caused 12,650 civilian injuries, 2,565 civilian deaths and $7.6 billion in direct damage.
Here are some simple things you can do to protect your family and property.
Change the batteries in your smoke detectors once a year. Functioning smoke detectors cut the risk of dying in a fire in half according to the National Fire Prevention Association.
Smoke detectors that are more than 10 years old should be replaced. Check the label on the back for the expiry date.
Hard-wired alarm systems should be serviced regularly.
Make an escape plan and practice it with your children. Tell them its a fire drill, just like at school.
If your smoke detectors go off, dont presume its a false alarm. Get out of your house first and then investigate.
When was the last time you checked your smoke detection system?
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