How to Prepare for a Fire

Fires can be dangerous, be it at home, in the office, at school, or onboard vehicles. Fires cause an estimated $21.9 billion in property damage in the United States alone, not to mention loss of life or serious injury. [1] The easiest way to stop fires is to prevent them from happening in the first place. If a fire does start, then having fire suppression equipment can minimize property damage and loss of life. [2] [3] [4]

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Preparing for Structure Fires

  1. Faulty wiring and malfunctioning appliances can easily start fires anywhere in your home, especially in bedrooms and living rooms. Having the wiring of your home or office checked will ensure that the wires do not arc or burn behind the wall. Also, make sure to have breakers or fuses that trip before the current exceeds the wire's rating.
  2. Gas can pose an even bigger hazard; anything as simple as a gas leak can create a scenario where the gas suddenly explodes causing serious injury. Ensure that the gas shutoff valves function as intended and that there are no indications of severe damage to gas pipes; if there is, contact your gas company for repairs.
    Advertisement
  3. Fire protection equipment including fire alarms and smoke detectors save lives and give the opportunity for fires to be extinguished before they go out of control.
  4. Statistics show that fire sprinklers extinguish almost all fires that they attack. Fire sprinklers protect both lives and property. Even if part of a building gets water damaged or furniture or electronics rendered unusable, fire sprinklers minimize such damage.
  5. A door does an excellent job at containing the spread of smoke and heat throughout the structure. During a house fire, every second counts. An open door spreads heat faster than a closed one. Even if the door eventually ends up breached by the fire, closing the doors in your home before you sleep will ensure that heavy sleepers do not succumb to smoke inhalation.
    • If you want to keep an eye on other family members when you are sleeping, use CCTV or have them sleep in the same bedroom as you. There is no valid excuse to leave the door open. You only have a few minutes to get out in a house fire. Being able to spare several extra seconds saves lives.
  6. Lifts play a crucial role in fighting fires; they allow for the fire brigade to reach the floor of the fire in a matter of minutes. Make sure that stairs and elevators are not obstructed and that they have the appropriate carrying capacity.
  7. Fire doors minimize or stop the spread of fire or smoke during a fire emergency. Since a majority of deaths are related to smoke inhalation, rather than the actual fire, having fire doors can ensure that occupants can safely escape or remain in place until the fire is put out.
  8. Fire extinguishers allow for a fire to be extinguished quickly in its early stages. Using one is not hard, but it must be maintained and regularly inspected to be useful during a fire.
  9. During an actual fire, smoke inhalation can be deadly. The ventilation systems during a fire must ensure that smoke is moved out of the structure while at the same time moving fresh air into the structure. This allows for occupants to safely leave the building unobstructed by smoke.
  10. This lighting guides people to exits during a power cut as well as low visibility. Exit signs must be identifiable even in thick, heavy smoke and it must be obvious to anyone that the path leads to a way out. For this reason, exits are usually standardized to have the words "Exit", a picture of a running man, or both on a red or green background.
  11. The stairways and emergency exit paths should never be used to store anything, ever. If something is blocking the stairs or exit paths it can reduce the number of people that can escape or even cause a stampede. Also, these items themselves can catch on fire.
    • The only thing that can be put in emergency corridors and stairways are things necessary for a partial or full evacuation or firefighting, such as fire extinguishers, evacuation chairs, and fire hoses.
  12. During a fire drill, occupants should either leave the structure, make their ways to their meeting point, or remain in place depending on the protocols and where the fire actually affects. An emergency drill is also a great time to check that all the fire protection equipment works properly and smoothly.
    Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Preparing for Wildfires

  1. These can reduce the extent that a wildfire can damage property. For example, using reinforced concrete instead of traditional wood-framed construction, while more expensive, can reduce the impacts a wildfire may have.
  2. A fire-resistant clear zone can reduce the likelihood of embers from a wildfire getting close to and eventually igniting your property.
  3. Even homes built out of fire resistant materials can end up gutted from the inside if embers are able to make their way in. Your ventilation systems should be able to stop pollutants, including smoke and embers, from entering your home.
  4. Include non-perishable foods as well as a first aid kit and essential medications. When a disaster hits, you can simply grab your emergency kit and evacuate.
  5. In the presence of bad air, windows and doors should be closed, people should equip N95 respirators appropriate for the occasion, and/or people should avoid participating in activities that are physically demanding and require a lot of oxygen. If a wildfire gets close, people will need to move out of a town or city and towards a designated emergency shelter.
    Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit

      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Dress Modestly for a Mormon Church (for Females)
      How to
      Improve Your Alexa Ranking
      How to
      Become Taller Naturally
      How to
      Do Hairstyles for Curly Hair
      How to
      Kill Fruit Flies
      How to
      Cook Corn in the Microwave
      How to
      Build Good Credit
      How to
      Fold Sheets
      How to
      Iron
      How to
      Slim Your Face
      How to
      Make Coleslaw
      How to
      Get a U.S. Passport
      How to
      Organize a Small Closet
      How to
      Use Bing Maps
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/US-Fire-Problem/Fire-loss-in-the-United-States
      2. ↑ https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail
      3. ↑ https://www.ready.gov/home-fires
      4. ↑ https://www.ready.gov/wildfires

      About this article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 510 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement