Warm Weather Fire Safety

5/2/2018 (Permalink)

Spring has sprung finally here in LaGrange Park, and it is time to get outside and enjoy the sun while it lasts.  As you transition from sweaters to shorts, deep fryers to grills, and indoor holiday parties to backyard barbecues, keep an eye on these areas:

Grill Area- NFPA reports that an average of 8,900 home fires are caused by grilling each year. Here are some fire safety tips for the grill:

• While the meat is marinating, be sure to check each potentially problematic point of the grill including the propane tank, the hose, and all connecting points.
• Charcoal should be soaked with charcoal starter fluid only.
• Make sure the grill is clean, failing to clean the grill before and after use is a contributing factor in nearly 20% of all grill structure fires.
• Make sure the grill is set up in an open, outdoor area with nothing flammable (plants, paper products, etc.) nearby.

Outdoor Fire Pits

The necessary safety precautions for an outdoor fire pit are much the same as for a grill, plus a few others:

• Never leave young children unattended near a fire in the pit.
• Fill a bucket with water and set it next to the pit before you even begin building the fire.
• Avoid throwing leaves, pine cones, pine needles and paper into the fire. They catch fire quickly and can result in dangerous floating embers.
• Unless there’s an emergency, avoid dumping the entire bucket of water on the fire to put it out. Instead, spread the pieces of fuel as far apart as possible and gently sprinkle water over them until there are no more glowing embers. This prevents the scatter of embers and a thick cloud of smoke.

Chimneys

The NFPA recommends having a chimney inspected and thoroughly cleaned at least once a year anyway, and getting it out of the way this time of year often means ridding it of buildup that would only cause more damage if it hung around until the fall. 

Smoke Alarms

As the spring and summer days progress, don’t forget to test the smoke alarms each month.

Dryers

The NFPA recommends cleaning out the vent pipe at least once a year.  SERVPRO of LaGrange Park/North Riverside can help get the vents cleaned for you as well, give us a call at 708-240-4873.

Let’s enjoy these warmer spring days, and remember SERVPRO of LaGrange Park/North Riverside is here for you and all your restoration needs.