Playing With Fire

PLAYING WITH FIRE

Though the most common cause of home fires is cooking there are endless ways a fire can start in your home.  Heaters, unattended candles… one of the strangest we heard was a fire caused by a hanging crystal collection (think of sun through a magnifying glass).  As a conscious homeowner it’s important to know the steps to protect your home and your family from fire risk. 

Knowledge is Power: Educate yourself and your family about fire safety. Fire extinguishers, escape plans and emergency kits aren’t of much use if no one knows about them.

Smoke Alarms: Place alarms strategically throughout your home and test them monthly as part of your home maintenance plan (yes even that pesky one that always goes off near the kitchen).

Fire Extinguishers: Keep an ABC rated fire extinguisher (scroll down for our recommendations) in key areas, such as the kitchen and ensure you have at least one on each floor. Everyone old enough in the home should know where they’re kept and how to use them.  These also need regular checks to ensure they’ll be ready when needed.

Emergency Kit: There are endless articles on “bug out bags” and what you should have in them to prepare for any slew of emergencies (zombie apocalypse included), but the most important thing is to keep it maintained, in a spot the whole family knows and is quickly accessible.

Plan your Escape Party: Establish clear escape routes and meeting point then conduct a fire drill with your family. Knowing how to evacuate quickly and safely can make a significant difference in an emergency. Consider fire ladders for upper floors (the kids will love these).

Electrical Safety: Regularly inspect your home's wiring and appliances. Replace damaged cords and avoid overloading outlets.  Be mindful too of the lithium batteries for all those tools and tech gadgets.  Never store them in extreme temperature environments and disposed of safely if damaged.  Also best to not store fully charged batteries for extended periods.

Cook Smart: Never leave cooking unattended and keep the flammable items away from the stove. You need a fire extinguisher nearby, but not right beside the stove please - that’ll likely be where the fire is.  We all know (hopefully) not to throw water on a grease fire, but what should we do? The first step if a small fire starts in a pot or pan is to simply place a lid on it.  If it becomes too large for that then it’s time to grab that fire blanket or fire extinguisher. Forget the baking powder.

Heating Appliance Maintenance: Service and clean your dryer and heating equipment regularly. Proper maintenance can prevent heating-related fires, especially during colder months.

Fire-Resistant Materials: If you’re building or doing a large reno do a little research and consider incorporating fire-resistant materials in your home, particularly in high-risk areas.

Emergency Contacts: Maintain a list of emergency contacts, including the local fire department and your insurance provider.

Stay safe, and remember, a little prep goes a long way in keeping your home the safe haven it should be.

HOMEOWNER ESSENTIALS: FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

You'd think fire extinguishers, being around for centuries, cheap, and easy to use, would be standard in every home, but I was pretty surprised by the research that says 1 out of every 3 homes doesn't have them. With over 300,000 fires a year in the US and 20,000 in Canada destroying lives and properties, a few bucks for extinguishers in key spots is an easy and obvious homeowner essential. At minimum you want one on every floor, especially in risky places like the kitchen (just not right next to the stove) and your garage or workshop.

Fires are split into types A, B, C, D, and K, and extinguishers match 'em. Home-wise, you want an ABC-rated one, covering regular fires like Class A (wood, paper, plastics), B (liquid stuff), and C (electrical). Forget Class D (burning metals) and K (fats and oils); they're more for big industry gigs. Fun fact: Class K might sound kitchen-friendly, but it's for big commercial fryers. Stick with the ABC rating – a B-rating can extinguish a small class K fire, but not the other way around.

Add regular checks as part of your usual home maintenance plan - check the pressure gauge, make sure it's easy to grab, and look for any obvious damage. They don’t come with strict expiration dates, but most usually last around 10 years.

Make sure the whole crew knows where the extinguishers are and how to work them (hint: point at the base of the fire, not the flames). Hopefully, you'll never need one, but being ready for a small emergency beats dealing with a catastrophe. Keep it safe!

KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY:

What’s with all the numbers and letters: While the letters explain what types of fires an extinguisher can handle (A,B,C,D,K as explained above) the numbers give a sense of the capabilities of the extinguisher. The number next to A is the water equivalency, with each number equal to 1¼ gallons of water. The number right before B is the extinguisher’s square footage of coverage, if used properly. Putting that information together, a 3A 40B:C extinguisher has the equivalent of 3¾ gallons of water with a coverage of 40 square feet. The NFPA recommends a minimum of a 2A 10:BC extinguisher on each floor, but many companies offer more-powerful 3A 40:BC extinguishers at no additional weight or cost.

Rechargable vs Disposable: Our favourite is the rechargeable option. Obviously if it ever gets discharged (whether intentionally or accidentally) it can be refilled, but more importantly they’re typically constructed better and don’t cost that much more. Disposable extinguishers are more likely to have plastic valves and handles making them more prone to damage and malfunction. Kidde, a leading brand of disposable extinguishers has had to recall millions of faulty units on more than one occasion (and has had over 400 reports of malfunction during use). So whether rechargeable or disposable be sure to go with a quality extinguisher… it’s only any good if it works when it’s needed.

Piece of the puzzle: Proper fire extinguishers and knowing how to use them are just one part of a home fire protection plan. Don’t neglect your smoke alarms or having a fire escape plan and meeting point.

One more thing: While we’re on the topic. Here’s are a couple of our other fire favourites.

UHH…IS THIS NORMAL?

“My power strip got REALLY hot when I had my space heater connected. Is this normal”?

Yikes… space heaters and power strips (or extension cords) are a dangerous combination.

Heating is the second largest cause of house fires behind cooking, and many of those come from improper use of space heaters. Space heaters need to be plugged directly into a wall outlet and should be the only thing in that outlet. Their high current draw is too much for many power strips and surge protectors and can be the cause of scary scenes like these.

While on the topic, here’s your space heater safety checklist…