Focus on Fire Safety: Holiday Fire Safety

Decorating homes and businesses is a long-standing tradition around the holiday season. Unfortunately, these same decorations may increase your chances of fire. Based on data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), an estimated 250 home fires involving Christmas trees and another 170 home fires involving holiday lights and other decorative lighting occur each year. Together, these fires resulted in 21 deaths and 43 injuries.

Following a few simple fire safety tips can keep electric lights, candles, and the ever popular Christmas tree from creating a tragedy. Learn how to prevent a fire and what to do in case a fire starts in your home. Make sure all exits are accessible and not blocked by decorations or trees. Help ensure that you have a fire safe holiday season.

Christmas Trees

What’s a traditional Christmas morning scene without a beautifully decorated tree? If your household includes a natural tree in its festivities, take to heart the sales person’s suggestion – “Keep the tree watered.”

Christmas trees account for hundreds of fires annually. Typically, shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches start tree fires. Well-watered trees are not a problem. A dry and neglected tree can be.

Selecting a Tree for the Holidays

Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needles should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long and, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.

Caring for Your Tree

Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.

Disposing of Your Tree

Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

Source: fema.gov

Chimney Maintenance for Warmth and Safety

Chimney maintenance and a fireplace inspection can make the difference between warm safety and drafty danger.

Your fireplace, the most low-tech piece of equipment in your house, may seem like a simple load-and-light operation, but ignoring annual maintenance can impair its performance, leading to heated air (and dollars) blowing out the chimney, harmful smoke inside, and possibly even a chimney fire.
The average number of annual U.S. home fires caused by fireplace, chimney, and chimney connectors between 2003 and 2005 was 25,100, and the average costs for those fires was $126.1 million, based on the most recent statistics from the Chimney Safety Institute of America. That’s roughly $5,024 in damage per home. Annual chimney maintenance removes flammable creosote, the major cause of chimney fires, and identifies other performance problems.
Is it worth the $205 fee, two-hour service call, and all that ash possibly blackening your carpet? Here’s what you need to know to decide.

Annual inspections keep flames burning right
Creosote—combustible, tar-like droplets—is a natural byproduct of burning wood. The more wood you burn, the wetter or greener the wood, and the more often you restrict airflow by keeping your fireplace doors closed or your damper barely open, the more creosote is produced.
Soot build-up, while not flammable, can hamper venting. One half-inch of soot can restrict airflow 17% in a masonry chimney and 30% in a factory-built unit, according to the CSIA. Soot is also aggressively acidic and can damage the inside of your chimney.
The more creosote and soot, the more likely you are to see signs of chimney fire—loud popping, dense smoke, or even flames shooting out the top of your chimney into the sky. Chimney fires damage the structure of your chimney and can provide a route for the fire to jump to the frame of your house.
“If the chimney is properly maintained, you’ll never have a chimney fire,” says Ashley Eldridge, the education director of the CSIA.
The best way to ensure your chimney isn’t an oil slick waiting to ignite? Get it inspected.
Three inspection levels let you choose what you need
Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/fireplaces-chimneys/chimney-safety-and-maintenance/#ixzz2AE5zkIGg

Kitchen Fires: How to Prevent and Put out the Flames

Kitchen fires are eminently preventable. Here’s how to stay safe now and during the holidays when you really put your oven and stove through their paces.


Cooking fires, primarily started on ranges or in ovens, cause 40% of all house fires, and 36% of all fire-related injuries, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Frying poses the greatest risk, and Thanksgiving is the peak day for kitchen fires.

So let’s stay safe. Follow these easy safety tips, courtesy of the NFPA.

How to prevent a kitchen fire
1. Be alert. If you’re tired or tipsy, don’t use the stove or oven.

2. Never leave the kitchen — even for a short time — when food is frying, grilling, or broiling. Don’t leave the house if food is simmering, baking, or roasting.

3. Use a timer to remind you that food is cooking.

4. Clear away from stovetops anything that can catch fire, like cloth and paper towels, oven mitts, and wooden spoons.

How to put out a kitchen fire

1. Get out of the kitchen. Close the door behind you when you leave to help prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of your house.

2. When you reach safety, call 911 or your local emergency number.

3. Make sure others are out of the house and you have an escape route before you try to fight the fire.

4. Smother a grease fire by sliding a pot lit over the pan. Then, turn off the stove. Don’t remove the lid until the pan is cool.

5. If your oven catches fire, turn it off and keep the door closed.
For a look at another method of putting out a grease fire, check out this video:


Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/blog/emergency-preparedness/kitchen-fires-how-prevent-and-put-out/#ixzz25hCTyuGK

One- and Two-Family and Multifamily Residential Building Fires Topical Reports Released

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) announces the release of two special reports focusing on the causes and characteristics of fires in one- and two-family and multifamily residential buildings. The reports One- and Two-Family Residential Building Fires (2008-2010) (PDF, 316 Kb) and Multifamily Residential Building Fires (2008-2010) (PDF, 286 Kb), were developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center.

Residential Building Fire Estimates

• 240,500 fires in one- and two-family residential buildings occur each year.
• Annually, one- and two-family residential building fires result in 2,050 civilian fire deaths, 8,350 civilian fire injuries, and 5.8 billion dollars in property loss.
• 102,300 fires in multifamily buildings occur each year.
• Annually, multifamily building fires result in 400 deaths, 4,175 injuries, and 1.2 billion dollars in property loss.

The reports are part of the Topical Fire Report Series and are based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) for 2008 to 2010. According to the reports, cooking is the leading cause of both one- and two-family and multifamily residential buildings fires, followed by heating. Fire incidence in both types of residential properties peaks during winter months partially as a result of increases in heating and holiday-related fires. In addition, fires peak over the evening dinner hours in one- and two-family and multifamily residences when cooking fires are prevalent.

Topical reports explore facets of the United States fire problem as depicted through data collected in NFIRS. Each topical report briefly addresses the nature of the specific fire or fire-related topic, highlights important findings from the data, and may suggest other resources to consider for further information. Also included are recent examples of fire incidents that demonstrate some of the issues addressed in the report or that put the report topic in context.

For further information regarding other topical reports or any programs and training available at the USFA, visit www.usfa.fema.gov.

Focus on Fire Safety: Holiday Fire Safety

Decorating homes and businesses is a long-standing tradition around the holiday season. Unfortunately, these same decorations may increase your chances of fire. Based on data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), an estimated 250 home fires involving Christmas trees and another 170 home fires involving holiday lights and other decorative lighting occur each year. Together, these fires resulted in 21 deaths and 43 injuries.

Following a few simple fire safety tips can keep electric lights, candles, and the ever popular Christmas tree from creating a tragedy. Learn how to prevent a fire and what to do in case a fire starts in your home. Make sure all exits are accessible and not blocked by decorations or trees. Help ensure that you have a fire safe holiday season.

Christmas Trees

What’s a traditional Christmas morning scene without a beautifully decorated tree? If your household includes a natural tree in its festivities, take to heart the sales person’s suggestion – “Keep the tree watered.”

Christmas trees account for hundreds of fires annually. Typically, shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches start tree fires. Well-watered trees are not a problem. A dry and neglected tree can be.

Selecting a Tree for the Holidays

Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needles should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long and, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.

Caring for Your Tree

Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.

Disposing of Your Tree

Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

Source: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/focus/holiday.shtm

Home Fires Spreading Faster, Study Shows

In less than three minutes, a house fire can become uncontrollable. In 1975, house fires tended to not become uncontrollable until an average of 17 minutes, according to a report by the National Institutes of Standards and Technology.
Despite better smoke alarms, home fires are spreading faster nowadays, studies show, so why are blazes spreading quicker?

Certain home furnishings may be one of the biggest culprits of home fires burning faster, some fire experts say. For example, upholstered furniture contains flammable polyurethane foam, which can potentially increase fire hazards. Also, fire experts note in an AOL Real Estate article, homes nowadays are constructed with more open floor plans and building materials, such as wallboard, that can contribute to faster spreading fires too.

Source: “Hot Stat: Today’s Homes Burn Faster Than Ever,” AOL Real Estate News (Nov. 7, 2011)

Wood Fireplace: 9 Tips for Safety and Efficiency

Besides the annual inspection and sweep for your chimney, improve the function of your wood fireplace with responsible use.

Ready for the colder months? You will be if you follow these simple guidelines to keep your wood fireplace burning brightly—and safely.

1. Only burn dry, cured wood—logs that have been split, stacked, and dried for eight to 12 months. Cover your log pile on top, but leave the sides open for air flow.

Hardwoods such as hickory, white oak, beech, sugar maple, and white ash burn longest, though dry firewood is more important than the species. Less dense woods like spruce or white pine burn well if sufficiently dry, but you’ll need to add more wood to your fire more often, according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA).
2. Burn firewood and only firewood! Crates, lumber, construction scraps, painted wood, or other treated wood releases chemicals into your home, compromising air quality. Log starters are fine for getting your wood fireplace going, but they burn very hot; generally only use one at a time.

3. Close the damper when not using your wood fireplace to prevent warm indoor air—and the dollars you’re spending to heat it—from rushing up the chimney.

4. Keep bifold glass doors open when burning a fire to allow heat to get into the room. On a factory-built, prefab wood fireplace with a circulating fan, keep doors closed to prevent unnecesary heat loss.

5. Have a chimney cap installed to prevent objects, rain, and snow from falling into your chimney, and to reduce downdrafts. Caps have side vents so smoke escapes. A chimney sweep usually provides and can install a stainless steel cap, which is better than a galvanized metal one because it won’t rust. Caps cost $50 to $200.

6. Replace a poorly sealing damper to prevent heat loss. A top-mounted damper that also functions as a rain cap provides a tighter closure than a traditional damper for your wood fireplace.

7. Install carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors in your house—near your wood fireplace as well as in bedroom areas.

8. Get your chimney cleaned twice a year if you burn more than three cords of wood annually. A cord is 4 feet high by 4 feet wide by 8 feet long, or the amount that would fill two full-size pickup trucks.

9. To burn a fire safely, build it slowly, adding more wood as it heats. Keep the damper of your wood fireplace completely open to increase draw in the early stages. Burn the fire hot, at least occasionally—with the damper all the way open to help prevent smoke from lingering in the fireplace and creosote from developing.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/fireplaces-chimneys/wood-fireplace-9-tips-safety-and-efficiency/#ixzz1aaAPwOVL

Kitchen Fires: How to Prevent and Put out the Flames

Kitchen fires are eminently preventable. Here’s how to stay safe now and during the holidays when you really put your oven and stove through their paces.


I was troubled to see so many kitchen fires crowding the news today — especially since Sunday begins Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 9-15).

Cooking fires, primarily started on ranges or in ovens, cause 40% of all house fires, and 36% of all fire-related injuries, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Frying poses the greatest risk, and Thanksgiving is the peak day for kitchen fires.

So let’s stay safe. Follow these easy safety tips, courtesy of the NFPA.

How to prevent a kitchen fire
1. Be alert. If you’re tired or tipsy, don’t use the stove or oven.

2. Never leave the kitchen — even for a short time — when food is frying, grilling, or broiling. Don’t leave the house if food is simmering, baking, or roasting.

3. Use a timer to remind you that food is cooking.

4. Clear away from stovetops anything that can catch fire, like cloth and paper towels, oven mitts, and wooden spoons.

How to put out a kitchen fire

1. Get out of the kitchen. Close the door behind you when you leave to help prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of your house.

2. When you reach safety, call 911 or your local emergency number.

3. Make sure others are out of the house and you have an escape route before you try to fight the fire.

4. Smother a grease fire by sliding a pot lit over the pan. Then, turn off the stove. Don’t remove the lid until the pan is cool.

5. If your oven catches fire, turn it off and keep the door closed.
For a look at another method of putting out a grease fire, check out this video:



Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/blog/emergency-preparedness/kitchen-fires-how-prevent-and-put-out/#ixzz1aPgHJxgT

Extinguish Your Chance of a House Fire

Here are some fire safety tips and stories behind recent blazes in honor of Fire Prevention Week.

Malibu beach houses and mobile homes all burn down. Any home can catch fire and any home owner can die in the blaze. In 2009, house fires caused 2,565 deaths, 12,650 injuries, and $7.6 billion in direct damage. Usually one or two people die per fatal fire. But that’s not always the case. Last year, nine fires resulted in 59 deaths. While these numbers symbolize staggering amounts of loss, they are on the decline.

Some of the most devastating structure fires happened decades ago. On April 21, 1930, 320 people died in a fire in an Ohio penitentiary. Twenty-seven years prior, 602 people were killed in a fire in a Chicago theater. Another 27 years before that, 295 people died from a fire in a Brooklyn theater.
But arguably the most famous fire is the one that took down nearly an entire city. From October 8 through October 9 in 1871, the Great Chicago Fire blazed through the Midwestern hub, causing 250 deaths. The events in Chicago inspired the creation of the first Fire Prevention Day on October 9, 1911.

Today we have Fire Prevention Week that lasts from October 3 through 9, sponsored by the NFPA. To contribute to the awareness of fire safety and prevention, and to mark this noteworthy anniversary, we offer readers a reminder of the deadly power of fires and key tips for prevention.
Cooking
In mid-September, a blaze awoke Nick Grisham, fiance of Big Brother star Britney Haynes, in their Arkansas rental property. He escaped unscathed with the couple’s two dogs, but the damage to the home is estimated at $50,000.
This all happened just hours before Britney appeared on the CBS show’s season finale. No one told her about the fire until after the episode wrapped. The cause of the conflagration is blamed on embers from a small backyard grill that ignited a patch of grass. According to the NFPA, cooking fires cause 40% of house fires and 36% of fire-related injuries.

Follow these tips to stay safe:

• Position your grill away from siding, deck railings, and low-hanging branches.

• Remove grease buildup in the tray below the grill regularly, as it could lead to a fire.

• If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.

• Keep anything that can catch fire (oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains) away from your stovetop.

Smoking
Eleven people were rendered homeless in Manassas, Va., after a cigarette that was discarded in a planter caused a massive fire that extended down a residential block, several news sites reported. Fortunately only three people reported minor injuries, but eight homes were damaged.

Cigarettes are the No. 1 cause of house fire-related deaths. The NFPA estimates that nearly one in four people killed in a house fire die because of smoking-related accidents inside and outside the home.

Follow these tips to stay safe:

• When smoking outside, make sure the cigarette is fully out before tossing it.

• Indoors, use large, deep ashtrays on a sturdy table.

• Consider smoking fire-safe cigarettes.

Electrical
Everyone throws clothes on the bedroom floor every once in a while. But the act caused a dangerous blaze in a home in Lynchburg, Va., after clothes lying on top of an electrical cord ignited, WSET-TV reported. An upstairs bedroom was heavily damaged, while the rest of the home sustained smoke damage.

During an average year, electrical problems in the home cause 485 deaths and $868 million in property losses, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Electrical fires are most common during the winter months when people spend more time indoors.

Follow these tips to stay safe:

• Do not use damaged or loose electrical cords.

• Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.

• In homes with small children, make sure your home has tamper-resistant outlets.

• Plug only one high-wattage appliance into an outlet at a time.

• Do not use bulbs that exceed a lamp’s recommended wattage.

Heating
No one is immune from the devastating affects of fire. TV star Ricki Lake’s Malibu home was set ablaze after a couch caught fire while she refueled a portable heater. She, her two sons and their dog escaped unharmed and firefighters were able to quickly put out the flames, which reached 30 feet.

Residential heating fires occur most often in the winter months as expected with the peak being in January and February.

Follow these tips to stay safe:

• Keep anything flammable more than three feet away from heating appliances.

• Dissuade your children from playing around open fires and space heaters.

• Do not use your oven to heat your home.

• Turn off portable heaters when leaving the device unattended, including when going to bed.

Children
A 5-year-old girl started a fire that destroyed two mobile homes in Fort Collins, Co., by playing with a cigarette lighter in her bedroom, the Coloradoan reported at the end of September. Her mother had been asleep at the time the blaze started.

Children are responsible more than 50% of the intentionally set fires in the United States. Small children (preschoolers and kindergartners) are most likely to start fires by playing with matches or lighters, and they are also most likely to die in them.

Follow these tips to stay safe:

• Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach and sight.

• Only use lighters designed with child-resistant features, and remember child-resistant does not mean child-proof.

Simply observing Fire Prevention Week isn’t enough. Fire season lasts all year. By observing and practicing even a few of these safety tips at home, you can prevent fatal fire disasters from happening in your home.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/emergency-preparedness/extinguish-your-chance-house-fire/#ixzz1a6xmoTrv