When my family went to Disney World last year, we participated in an exercise at Epcot about fire safety. There were two teams that were divided up and armed with flashlights. When the monitor said go, we had to rush through a three-dimensional home filled with different rooms and look for possible fire hazards and put them out before the house burst into flame. The team that found the most fire hazards won.
This really got me thinking about the hidden fire hazards in our home. Sure, we know enough not to leave the Yankee Candles unattended or to place flammable materials next to the furnace, but there are many other hazards that we weren’t even aware of. I’m ashamed to say that when I got back, I found several of these fire hazards in my home. With most of them, I never even had a clue that they could cause a fire.
Loose Outlets
I have been bugging my husband to fix our loose outlets for years because they are a major annoyance. I plug in appliances, such as the vacuum cleaner and it stops midway in the room because the plug falls out. (I’d fix it myself, but that would probably cause bigger problems.) I found out though that this can be a major cause of fires. Apparently the loose blades of the plugs can generate some pretty intense heat that could spark fires. Yikes.
Kitchen Clutter
If you have ever accidentally set a potholder on fire then you are already familiar with kitchen clutter. Isn’t it strange that we tend to have piles of papers, recipe cards, and other flammable materials in our kitchens where there is a direct heat source? Make sure that you have at least three feet separating the stove and your clutter.
We just got started on the hidden fire hazards in your home. Check back in the Home Blog for my next post.
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