Fire at home is one of the oldest calamities that can endanger people's property and health in a short period of time. Fire is the burning of combustible materials or an unwanted fire that starts from a heat source now of uncontrollable occurrence and spreads and develops with its own thermal power.
We always ask ourselves what to do before a fire or fire and what preventive measures can be taken before and during a fire. We should note that fire is one of the accidents that can happen to any person and place at any moment, and you must have heard that the accident is not reported, but we should not forget that most of the accidents are preventable.
In this article, we discuss the causes of fire and measures that must be taken before and during a fire in residential houses.
Important factors of fire
First, it is necessary to know that every fire needs three elements to start, which are oxygen, heat, and combustible materials. Since all three elements are always present in residential houses, we remind you of the important factors of fire below:
- House fire during cooking: One of the most important causes of fire at home is cooking, which can include gas stoves, grills, and other appliances as potential sources of fire.
- House fire through heating devices: heating devices such as gas heaters, electric heaters, wood or wood heaters, and oil heaters are other causes of house fires, especially in the winter season.
- Fire through electronic devices and electrical devices: Electronic devices are another common cause of fire in homes, electronic systems and worn-out electrical cables or lines spark and cause fires.
- Human carelessness: one of the most common causes of fire is carelessness. Improper use of all types of combustible materials, such as cigarettes, flammable liquids, electrical connections, and failure of electrical appliances can cause a fire.
- Children's play: Children with their childish games and their unconscious mistakes, such as lighting a fire using a tin of sulfur or a liter of incendiary cigarettes, can be one of the most important factors in causing a fire.
Fire prevention
The simplest and most effective way for people to prevent and ensure fire safety is to prevent fire from starting. If prevention is successful, other safety measures will not be needed. To prevent fire, we must pay serious attention to its elements, which are heat, fuel, and oxygen. In the meantime, it is almost impossible to remove oxygen from houses and buildings, and as a result, two other factors should be focused on for prevention. Many fires in residential houses are due to carelessness or wear and tear of buildings, which can be prevented with a little thought and cost.
Some important points that must be observed in preventing fire at home and at work:
- To observe safety tips and have fire extinguishing equipment, you must have fire extinguishers at home and be familiar with how to use them so that you can use them effectively in the event of an accident. Fire extinguishers must be evaluated annually and regularly. It should be noted that the fire extinguishers are placed in the right place.
- Make sure that the three elements of fire (triangle of fire) are not placed together in the same place. Otherwise, there is a high possibility of fire.
- Be careful that machines, devices, and equipment do not get too hot.
- Prevent leakage, spillage, and contamination of combustible materials in homes.
- Keep away from the napkins and cloths soaked in oil, which are used to clean the equipment.
- Keep your homes safe from any contamination such as oil, oil, or greasy and combustible materials.
- Store flammable and combustible materials in a safe and appropriate place.
- In case of fire and before any other action, inform the fire department immediately.
- If you want to travel, be sure to turn off your gas.
- Keeping flammable materials away from incendiary devices and heating devices is a very important rule that must be followed in residential areas.
- Make sure that electrical appliances and their connections are standard.
- Use a variety of fire extinguishers at home and teach all family members how to use them.
- Check the fire escape route with your family in advance and practice the escape method.
- Never keep flammable liquids such as oil, oil, or petroleum inside the house, and keep these liquids in a suitable container and in a safe place.
- Turn off the cigarette filter before smoking, it is better not to smoke at all.
- One of the steps that can be taken to prevent fire at home is to install a smoke-sensitive alarm system. It is very effective in preventing fire. By installing the fire alarm system in the rooms and kitchen, you can notice the fire in the first moments. In this way, people will have enough time to extinguish the fire or leave the place. There are these smart alarm systems in some homes, and the existence of such systems can reduce the probability of dying in a fire by half.
What to do during a fire?
When facing a fire, the most important action is to prevent the spread of fire and extinguish it. Fire spreads quickly, so the first thing to do is call the fire department and try to give a brief description of the incident.
Know the type of construction of the building and share it with neighbors and helpers. It is necessary to know that metal structures are extremely weak against fire, and with the smallest fire that occurs next to the columns, the steel is immediately melted and loses a large part of its resistance. Therefore, pay attention to the following important points during a fire:
- Try to get everyone out of the building.
- Do not enter the burning building under any circumstances.
- Do not move a container that is on fire.
- Smother the flame with sand, salt, damp blankets, or other coverings.
- If smoke, heat, or flames are blocking your exits, close the door and stay in the room.
- Preferably choose a room or a place with a window to stay away from the fire.
- Ask for help through the window using only a light-colored cloth.
- If possible, call the fire department and report your location.
- Try to let your neighbors and friends know about the incident so that they can contact the fire department and help save your life.
- During a fire, you can protect yourself from gas or toxic fumes by tying a handkerchief around your mouth and nose.
- Do not use water to extinguish oil fires.
- If your clothes are on fire, stop, fall to the ground, and roll over to put out the fire.
- It should be remembered that if the fire is not contained in time, it will cause a lot of damage to the house. In some cases, fires are associated with other natural events, such as earthquakes, or occur immediately after them. In many cases, the secondary fire damages are even more than the damages of the fire accident or its primary fire.
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