Spring cleaning is an important part of keeping your home and family safe from fire, and can be overlooked. This spring, make fire safety part of your routine to stay on top of fire prevention in your home, whether you own your home or rent. As dust and items build up inside over the winter, landscapes, vegetation and even leftover firewood outside can put your family at greater fire risk.
Add these tips to your weekend to-do’s, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with prevention.
Dryers and washing machines caused 2,900 were involved in one out of every 22 home structure fires reported to U.S. fire departments recently with dryers accounting for 92% of the fires. Clean the lint filter with each load of laundry and remove all lint from around the drum. Keep the area surrounding your dryer clear of flammable items like clothing and cleaning supplies.
Working smoke detectors cut the risk of dying in a reported house fire in half. If you have monitored smoke detectors in place today, when were they tested last? Test your smoke alarms frequently. Make sure you call us first to put your system on test.
If you don’t have monitored smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside the sleeping area and on each level of your home, schedule a system review with our team to make sure you are covered.
Some families grill year-round, while others break it out again in the spring and summer. While your grill sits over winter, grease, and build-up can harden and make it easy work for fire to catch. Before firing it up this spring, inspect it for damage and remove any trapped grease or debris that may have lingered there. A thorough cleaning will help avoid preventable grill fires in the future.
Most home cooking fires involve the stovetop. Keep your stove clean and flammable items away from the stove. This includes wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, curtains and oven mitts. Never leave the kitchen when you’re frying on the stovetop. Check out more cooking safety tips here.
9 Volt Batteries can start fires. Batteries stored in drawers surrounded by metal objects (paper clips, coins, or other batteries) and flammable items increase fire risk. Clean out that junk drawer! Keep batteries in original packaging until ready to use them. Battery posts that come into contact with metal can make enough heat to start a fire. Store batteries standing up.
Dried leaves can be especially flammable and need to be removed from any areas near your household structures, garages, and sheds. Debris is one of the top fire-causing factors in home fires, but your risk can be reduced with simple yard maintenance. Pay special attention to twigs and branches and dead plant life that could catch fire easily when dried.
Extension cord fires outnumber fires with permanent power cords by two to one. Make sure your electrical cords are not running across doorways or under carpets. Extension cords are meant for temporary use only. Have a qualified electrician add more outlets if needed.
Check out more Safety Tips from the NFPA here.
Locally operated Alarm Engineering has been securing Delmarva since 1985. In that time, we have earned our reputation for integrity, reliability, and quality with our emphasis on superior service to our customers. We know you have choices when it comes to your security system, so here are some things you should know about our team.
Alarm Engineering is leading provider of electronic security systems and services in Delaware and the Eastern Shores of Maryland and Virginia. From integrated home security systems with home automation and video to large enterprise-level integrated systems and small business solutions, our highly trained and professional staff will get the job done right. As an Authorized Alarm.com dealer, we offer exclusive Crash and Smash technology, Geo-Fencing and LiftMaster Garage Control, and the Doorbell Camera as part of our Home Automation offerings.
For more about what sets us apart from the crowd, click here or give us a call at 410-546-2210. But don’t just take our word for it: check out our five star Google Reviews.