12 Ways to Protect Your Family From Fire

Here's some advice on how to make sure your family are safe from fire in the home

Posted on

31 July 2013

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If a fire starts while you’re asleep; and you don’t have a working smoke alarm; there’s a strong chance you’ll never get out. You will just drift deeper and deeper into a fume-filled sleep. Children are particularly vulnerable in a fire. If they are scared, they may hide rather than try to escape. Find out how to keep your family safe from fire.

It can take just a few minutes from a fire starting to your home being full of smoke. The smoke is thick and dark, so it can be hard to see where you’re going. The smoke released in a house fire contains poisonous gases; including carbon monoxide. Most people caught in a fire die from breathing in poisonous smoke.

6,000 fires a year are caused by children under the age of 10. Children can be fascinated by fire but don’t understand its dangers.

Causes of Fires in the Home

Families where someone smokes are at greatest risk. Cigarettes, matches and lighters are the biggest single cause of fatal house fires. Worryingly, smokers are less likely to own a smoke alarm than non-smokers.

Cooking starts almost half of all house fires, with chip pans and greasy grill pans common culprits.

Faulty electrics start up to one in six house fires. Causes include overloaded sockets, loose wiring, damaged cables and leads, and faulty or misused electrical appliances.

Tea lights get hot enough to melt plastic and should never be left unattended especially in the bathroom.

Fire Safety Tips

Never let children play with matches, candles, lighters or anything that could start a fire.

You need a working smoke alarm on every floor of your home- upstairs as well as downstairs- to warn you quickly if a fire starts.

Test your smoke alarms every week to check that they’re working or if you have central building alarms make sure building maintenance or the landlord are organising regular tests and maintenance.

If the smoke alarm by your kitchen keeps going off when you’re cooking- don’t remove the batteries! Move the alarm further away from the kitchen door. Or change it for one with a silencer button or one that’s ‘toast-proof’.

Change your old lighter for one that is child-resistant. And move matches and lighters where children can’t see them or reach them. Stub cigarettes right out in an ashtray. And – if you’re feeling sleepy – never be tempted to light up.

Replace your chip pan with a thermostatically controlled deep-fat fryer or use oven chips. If you can’t give up your chip pan, never fill it more than one third full of oil.

One plug per socket is safest if you want to avoid an electrical fire.

Don’t put night lights or tea lights on a plastic bath or on top of a TV set- they can melt the plastic and start a fire.

Plan how your family will escape if a fire breaks out. Then practise the plan together. Know two exits out of your villa or apartment floor in case there is a fire, and have a set place outside where the whole family will meet up.

Tidy up your hallway. Move bags, shoes and toys, so there’s no chance of tripping over them if you need to get out in a hurry.

Keep keys to doors and windows where family members can find them quickly and easily in an emergency.

In the event of a fire, get out, stay out and call 997 in Dubai for the Fire Service.