Article Review: Fireproof Your Family

Fireproof Your Family: Jeannette Moninger, Parents, January 2017.
A year since I burned my back, so I decided it is a good idea to share this article.  Knowing what to do in case of a fire can save lives.  Unbelievable 357,000 homes catch fire in a year in the United States.  That is a lot.  They result in 13,000 injuries and 2,400 deaths.  Important things to remember include:
Have an escape plan, and practice every six months.  Develop two means of escape from every room.  Replace smoke-alarm batteries every sixth months.  Check the manufacture date of smoke alarms and discard those over ten years old.
: turn off stove whenever you leave the kitchen, never leave home with appliances running, wear short or tight fighting sleeves around the stove, keep children away from the stove.  (The stove was my culprit.  I was warming my backside near the gas burner.  Also my grandmother tells of her baby brother being burned.  I think that was hot water being spilled from the stove.)
Bedroom safety: don't smoke in the house, and keep lighters and matches out of reach of children.  Extinguish candles when leaving a room.  Candles need to be on flat surfaces.
Basement: Keep flammable objects away from heaters.  DOn't plug space heaters into extension cords.  Turn heaters off when not in the room.
Fireplace: Hire qualified cleaners every fall.  Keep flammable objects, including wood, three feet or more away.  Use a study screen.  Allow ashes to cool before disposing, and let them cool a distance from your house.
Laundry Room: Scrape out the dryer lint every time the dryer is used and clean the vent pipe yearly.  Check the outdoor vent door.  Plug appliances directly into the wall.  Never leave the appliances on when not in the home.

I think the most important part of this article is the escape plan )have one) and practicing the escape plan.  Maybe even practicing and different times of day or night might be good.  You don't want to traumatize kids with the idea of fire,  but being prepared can lead to more confidence and trust.  Practicing should include knowing how to release screens for exit from windows.  Collapsible ladders are needed for upstairs windows.