Household Fire Emergencies Safety Tips and Hints

When fire emergencies arise in your home, you need to know what to do before the situation gets out of control. There are some simple things you can do to put out fires in your home and prevent you or your family members from getting injured.

Aim for the Bottom

If a fire erupts in your home, when using a fire extinguisher, you will get better results by spraying with a sweeping motion and aim the fire extinguisher nozzle at the bottom of the flames. Even though it might seem tempting to aim at the body of the fire or the upper tips of the flames, aiming at the bottom is more effective and will put the fire out safely.

Stovetop and Oven fires

If you have a stovetop fire, your first instinct may be to carry the burning pan to the sink, try to resist doing that. Instead you should turn off the range and the exhaust fan, make sure to slip on an oven mitt, and grab a large pot lid, pizza pan, or cookie tray, and slide it over the fire to smother the flames. For range top flames on grease or oil spills, you will need to douse the flames with baking soda or salt. Leave the lid on the burning pan for a good amount time, until the substance in the pan is completely cool. Resist the urge to peek under the lid. If the heating element or the oil in the pan is still hot, by lifting the lid even for a second can let in enough oxygen to reignite the fire. For oven fires, by keeping the oven door closed the fire will eventually die out for lack of oxygen. But remember to shut off the oven immediately.

Chimney Fires

In the situation of a chimney fire, because flames from a chimney fire are not likely to be visible within the house, the first sign may be a call from your neighbor. Some other signs of a chimney fire could be unusual heat radiating from the fireplace area or you hear a loud roaring noise from the fireplace area. In the case that your chimney is on fire, you need to evacuate the house immediately. If you have a wood stove, you need to close the damper as you go; if you have a fireplace, you need to close the damper only if you can reach the damper handle without any risk of a burn. Only after you call for emergency help from the safety of a neighbor's house, you can start hosing down the roof of the house. After the fire is safely out, have the chimney professionally cleaned to avoid the situation of another flare up. The creosote in the chimney may not have been completely consumed by the fire, and this makes the chimney very dangerous to start a fire.

Resources: 1001 Do-It-Yourself Hints and Tips