Fire Inspector's page

One of my goals is to reduce the chances of your house catching fire and to increase the chances of your family getting out if there is a fire.  By bringing to your attention to some common dangerous habits and also helping you to have an escape plan, you will greatly increase your chances of surviving a deadly house fire.

People are used to seeing news reports about house fires. They tell where and when the fire occurred, whether anyone was injured or killed, maybe the cause of the fire. These reports tell the story of one fire, in one particular home, at one particular time. Most people probably think, "That unfortunate family." But they probably don't think, "That could happen to me." Or, "How can I prevent a fire in my home?"

House fires, and the injuries and deaths that result, are not rare and isolated events. They happen every day in communities all over the country. They're deadly, costly and they change the lives of families forever. But they're not unavoidable.     House fires and fire deaths can be prevented.

Fires are deadly.

Ø  In the U.S., there's an injury in a house fire every 30 minutes and a fatality every 3 hours.  

Ø  In 2006, a house fire was reported every 80 seconds.

Fire deaths can happen to anyone, but children & older adults are at higher risk.

Ø  Children under 5 yrs old & adults over 65 are twice as likely to die in a house fire.

Ø   Child-playing fires are the leading cause of fire deaths among preschoolers.

Ø  2 out of 3 child-playing fires and 3 out of every 4 associated deaths & injuries involve matches or lighters.

Ø  Just over half of child-playing fires start in the bedroom.

Fires and resulting deaths can be prevented.

Ø  By installing smoke alarms on every floor and outside every sleeping area (ideally, in every sleeping area too).

Ø  By having an escape plan and practicing it with the whole family.

Ø  By practicing fire safety when cooking, smoking, using space heaters, or using candles.

Barriers make fire prevention more difficult.

The biggest barrier to preventing fire deaths is lack of access to smoke detectors.  The homes at greatest risk of deadly fire are also those least likely to have working smoke detectors.  Another barrier is lack of information-people can't prevent fire deaths if they don't know what to do.

Winter Fire Safety Tips

Possibly due to the high costs of heating your home, many families are using alternate heating sources.  The use of woodburning stoves is growing and space heaters are more popular than ever.  Fireplaces are also more popular than ever.

These methods may be acceptable; however, they are a major contributing factor in residential fires.  Many of these fires are preventable.  The following fire safety tips will help you maintain a safer home this winter.

Be Safe and Warm This Winter

Ø  Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.

Ø  Have a 3 foot kid free zone around open fires and space heaters.