Prepare, Plan to Help Prevent Fires

Nearly every day, someone is injured or killed in a fire.  Winter months typically increase fire risks as cold weather, storms and holidays bring about the use of additional heat and light sources in the home.  Take these small steps to keep you and your family safe.       

Make smoke alarms a priority.

Every home should have working smoke alarms on every floor.  Check to make sure they have batteries, and that the batteries are in working condition.  Ideally, they should be tested every month.  Also, you should pick certain days like Daylight Savings Time so you remember to change the batteries twice a year.  Smoke alarms are often the difference in being seriously injured or killed in a fire.

Choose your smoke alarms carefully.

You should also know there are different types of smoke detectors available.  Ionization smoke detectors and photoelectric smoke detectors are both sold as smoke alarms, but ionization smoke detectors often fail to detect smoldering fires.  Smoldering fires account for 80 percent of all household fires.  Photoelectric smoke detectors are designed to detect slow-burning fires as well as the flash fires ionization smoke detectors specialize in handling.  According to tests performed by the U.S. National Bureau of Standards, photoelectric smoke detectors provide two to three times more chance of escaping your home in a fire than ionization smoke detectors.  So when choosing smoke detectors, make sure you protect your family by choosing photoelectric and/or dual sensor smoke alarms.

Take precautions to prevent common causes of fires.

Everyday activities and items such as cooking, smoking, candles and space heaters are common causes of fire.  Check to make sure heaters or stoves are turned off and candles are blown out before leaving your home or going to sleep.  Also, you should never smoke in bed or leave matches and lighters in the reach of children.  Be cautious of overloaded sockets and wiring that looks worn or damaged.

Have a safety plan.

Make a fire escape plan for your house.  Involve children in the plan and practice with your entire family so everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency.

Get out, stay out!  

If your home does catch fire, find a way out immediately.  Once you escape, do not go back inside the house for any reason.  Call for help and let firefighters know if someone is missing.

Messa & Associates has handled many fire and explosion cases over the years throughout the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey which resulted in significant injuries and death.  Our attorneys have been successful in litigating cases and obtaining substantial awards in these matters.  For more information or to speak with us about a case, please contact us at 1-877-MessaLaw.