Do you know the key places to keep a fire extinguisher in your home? When house fires are allowed to spread beyond the room where they started, they often turn out dangerous and deadly. This is because the average home has so many combustible materials that increase the risk of a fire hazard. Fires that start in homes can rage out of control in a matter of minutes if the right measures aren’t taken to prevent the fire from spreading. Acting fast is important and this means having your portable fire extinguishers accessible is key.
Let’s go over some general guidelines on placing your fire extinguishers at home.
- First, ensure that everyone in your home knows where the fire extinguishers are
- Ensure that the fire extinguishers are visible at all times. You can use labels and ensure they’re facing in the right direction for visibility.
- Check to ensure the extinguishers are not blocked or inaccessible.
- Be aware of the maintenance and inspection schedule of your fire extinguishers. Check to ensure they are always in good working order. If the unit is used (even in small fire incidents), call a professional to perform a fire extinguisher refill.
Below are the key places at home to keep a fire extinguisher.
The Kitchen
The leading cause of reported home fires is cooking equipment. This is why the kitchen is the most obvious place you’ll find a fire extinguisher in your home. The kitchen’s fire extinguisher should be properly placed. Avoid placing it next to the stove or oven. Just place it approximately 30 feet away from the stove so that it’s easy to reach in case of a fire. If your kitchen is very small, you can mount the extinguisher in an adjacent room on the wall. Just make sure the unit is easily accessible from the kitchen.
Place a fire extinguisher near heat sources
Heat sources in a home range from chimneys to fireplaces, permanent room heaters, and stoves. Place a fire extinguisher near these heat sources (not right next to them). Just maintain a safe distance away so that you can easily reach through dangerous smoke or flames and extinguish the fire if it strikes.
Each floor should have a fire extinguisher
A general guideline is to have at least one fire extinguisher on every floor. This includes the often-unused areas in your home like the basement and attic. Remember that fires can start anywhere in your home due to issues like faulty wiring. You can prevent the fires from spreading by having a fire extinguisher close by.
The garage
If you have other structures in your home like a garage, work shed or workshop, ensure you have a fire extinguisher in these areas. If you work with tools and flammable liquids in your garage, have the right extinguisher to prevent small fires from becoming serious. Any extinguisher used at the garage should be suitable for flammable liquids.
The bedrooms
Majority of home fires happen at night. Having a fire extinguisher in close reach in the bedrooms can help promote a quick response. You can even have one on the children’s room. Kids too can be trained on how to use a fire extinguisher.
