During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, more families than ever are staying inside. Practicing fire safety can help reduce the risk of burns and other injuries while families are spending more time at home.
Below, our Mississippi personal injury attorneys discuss three basic fire safety tips.
#1: Have an Escape Route
According to the American Red Cross, a family may have as little as two minutes to escape their home once a fire begins.
Therefore, it’s important for families to come up with an escape plan before the need for one arises. An escape plan may include the following details:
- Identify potential exits. Review the layout of your home and identify areas that may become difficult to navigate during a fire, such as narrow hallways. In these areas, find one or two possible exit routes for people stuck there, such as a nearby window. It may be a good idea to install a fire extinguisher in these more confined spaces and teach your family members how to use one should the need arise.
- Know where not to go. Teach your family members to touch door handles before moving into a new room. Hot or warm door handles may mean there is a fire on the other side of the door.
- Leave possessions behind. Make sure your family members understand that no material possession is worth their life. At the first sign of a fire, drop everything and head to the nearest exit.
#2: Test Fire Alarms
Install smoke alarms on every floor of your home and test them regularly. It’s particularly important to have smoke alarms near where people sleep so they can hear the alarm if it goes off when they are asleep.
#3: Know How to Prevent a Fire
The most crucial element in a fire safety plan is knowing how to prevent a fire from starting in the first place. Some strategies to prevent fires include:
- Check and clean heated appliances regularly.
- Never leave heat-emitting devices or lights on when leaving the house.
- Keep cords untangled and do not use too many plugs in one outlet.
- Properly store flammable materials.
Injured in a Fire? Contact Us Today
Even if you take all of the aforementioned safety precautions, fires may still spark from a defective product or something else outside of your control. If you or someone you love has been injured in such a fire, we’re here to help.
