How fireproof is your home?
This is how you keep your belongings and loved ones safe!
You are finally sleeping and the fire alarm goes off. You get out of bed tired. It must be the battery again, you think. Then the smell of burnt wood hits you and you realize that you have to leave as soon as possible. Just imagine, a fire in your house. Although the number of house fires in the Netherlands has dropped significantly in recent years, the consequences should not be underestimated. Every year an average of 800 people are injured by house fires and there are about 30 deaths. Nowadays you only have 2 to 3 minutes to leave your home in case of fire. This makes it all the more important to protect your home and property preventively against fire. With the fire safety sets from Smartwares installation service you make sure you are properly warned in the event of heat, smoke or CO outbreak. After reading this blog you will know everything about the causes of house fires and how to make your home fireproof. This way you will keep your belongings and loved ones safe!
Causes of house fires
Many people often think, "A house fire will never happen to us." However, an accident can happen to anyone of us. In 2018, almost 118,000 fire reports were received, according to CBS. About 39 indoor fires occurred per day at that time. Although a fire usually starts with something innocent, such as a pan fire or a short circuit, the impact is often enormous. Sometimes there is only material damage, but sometimes people are seriously injured or the fire even has a fatal outcome.It is notable that house fires are often caused by human activity. Most house fires follow from stoking, smoking, cooking or from electrical appliances.
Fires often occur during or after stoking your fireplace. Dirt in the chimney, improper construction of the chimney, improper diameter of the smoke duct, improper fuel or improper stoking techniques can cause a fire to start in your chimney. Thus, the proper placement of smoke detectors close to the chimney can help alert you in time.
Many fires start in the kitchen, which is not entirely illogical given that this is where people spend most of their time. You only have to forget a pan on the stove or a kitchen glove lying just too close to the stove for it to catch fire. Ovens, microwaves and deep-fat fryers are also prone to fire. A smoke detector in the kitchen is therefore no luxury.
Furthermore, electrical appliances are one of the main causes of fires. Primarily, the washing machine and dryer cause many fires due to lint that gets into the appliance. In addition, appliances such as the television can short-circuit, causing a fire. That is why it is good to have multiple smoke detectors in your home.
Carelessness in smoking is also a common cause of fire at home. In most cases, a mattress or furniture catches fire after people lie down smoking a cigarette or have fallen asleep. In addition, fires occur in garbage cans due to smoldering cigarettes that are thrown away.
- We own more electrical items
- Modern furniture of flammable material
- Improved insulation
Shortened escape time
Today, fires are more dangerous than they used to be. The escape time after a fire has broken out is only two minutes, where it used to be 17 minutes. This means that there are just as many victims as before despite there being fewer house fires. There are three main reasons why the escape time has shortened so much.
When you have more electrical appliances in your home, the risk of short circuits is automatically increased. Furthermore, today's furniture contains more flammable material such as polyurethane foam. When this burns, a lot of smoke is released. Smoke is the number one cause of death in a fire because it contains a lot of toxic gases and spreads faster than fire. On top of that, houses today are well insulated. As a result, smoke and carbon monoxide stay in the house much longer. This also shortens the escape time and makes fires more dangerous.
Prevent house fires
The fire department needs on average 7.5 minutes before they arrive at the location of the fire. Since you only have 2 minutes on average to get out of your house nowadays, it is often already too late when the fire department arrives. It is therefore extremely important to prevent fires. Fortunately, there are many ways to do this. Many fires can be prevented by being more careful. If you smoke, don't smoke in bed or on a sofa or chair that is flammable. And put a layer of water in the ashtray before emptying it. Don't put flammable items near the stove and make sure loose clothing can't catch fire. Use a cooking timer so the pan on the stove is not forgotten. Have your chimney checked annually and clean your washing machine regularly.
Make your home more fireproof
In a fatal house fire, 45% of people are caught in their sleep. In your sleep you can't smell anything, including smoke. By installing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in the right places, you are warned in time of possible fires or toxic gases. Nowadays, 70% of all Dutch people have smoke alarms, but not everyone has them installed properly, in the right place or in sufficient numbers. The percentage of households with working smoke alarms is about 45%, which is very low. Only 35% have smoke alarms that work and are in the correct place, and only 23% have enough smoke alarms installed, making them truly fireproof.
Smartwares' installation service ensures that you preventively protect your belongings and loved ones from fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. Our experts know exactly where, how and how many smoke alarms need to be installed. Make sure you are well protected and will not have any regrets later. You want to be sure about safety, right?
Feel safe with the fire safety kit from Smartwares installation service
