Cottage Grove sentinel., September 30, 2015, Page 6, Image 33

Five ways to increase home fi re safety
A
n average of seven Americans die each week as a result of house
option is always to evacuate your home and call for help.
fi res. Most fi res occur in residential buildings between the hours of
Fire prevention measures are a serious matter in every home. Find out
11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when occupants are most likely to be asleep. Your
how to keep your home and family safe at nfpa.org.
fi rst line of defense is fi re preparedness.
Here’s fi ve things you can do to increase your chance of survival in a fi re:
• Install smoke alarms on every story of your home and outside sleeping
areas. Be sure to test them monthly, clean them every six months and
replace batteries in spring and fall. Having working fi re alarms can cut
your chance of dying in a fi re in half!
• Have a fi re escape plan for your family and practice it. A small fi re can
spread rapidly — you may only have minutes or seconds to escape. When
going over the details of your escape plan, check windows and doors to
ensure all open easily. Know your local emergency number (911). Never
stop to gather belongings or reenter a home after safely outside.
• When renovating, consider using fi re-rated, noncombustible products.
Your choice of insulation, for example, can be vital. Stone wool
insulation, like that produced by Roxul, resists temperatures up to
approximately 2,150 F. When directly exposed to fi re, it will not off-
gas, contribute to toxic smoke or promote fl ames. Fire-resistant building
materials can give you extra time to escape when seconds count.
• Purchase a multi-use fi re ladder for each bedroom in your home and
practice using it. A fi re ladder may be your only escape option if fl ames
block critical exits.
• Place fi re extinguishers on every level of your home, especially in high-
risk areas like the kitchen, near fi replaces and in the garage. Use only for
small, contained fi res that are not spreading rapidly. Know how to operate
your extinguisher before an emergency occurs using the PASS method:
Pull pin, Aim low, Squeeze lever and Sweep from side to side. The safest
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2015 Fall Home Improvement