The home is such a familiar place that fire hazards may all too easily go unnoticed. There are a variety of precautions that should be taken to minimize the possibility of a fire breaking out in the home. All homes should be equipped with smoke detectors, which should be tested regularly and whose batteries should be promptly replaced when they wear out.
Multilevel homes should have at least one smoke detector per floor. A good location for a smoke detector is directly outside a bedroom and at the top of every flight of stairs, especially those leading to a basement. Avoid placing one in the kitchen itself, since heat and fumes from cooking may set off a false alarm.
The insulation of smoke detectors in a home or commercial property may lower its household insurance rates.
Local or Area Heating
Space heaters and unguarded coal or wood fires in open fireplaces are a common source of fires in the home. An open fireplace should be protected with a fire screen whenever a fire is burning in it. The screen should cover the entire opening of the fireplace.
With coal or wood fires, there is a danger of the chimney catching fire. The flue should be cleaned regularly to remove flammable tars that may have accumulated. The fire should not be allowed to become too hot or to roar up into the chimney. If wood is used as fuel, hardwoods from trees that shed their leaves should be chosen; they produce less flammable tars than softwoods.
Gas and oil space heaters should never be used in bedrooms. Elsewhere in the home, this type of heater should be vented to the outside and anchored to the floor. The floor beneath the heater should be protected with a layer of sheet metal or masonry tiles. The fuel lines should be protected against damage and placed out of the general path of travel. Portable gas or oil space heaters should not be used in homes where children are present.
