October Is Fire Safety Month
October 27, 2014
October is Fire Safety Month
October is Fire Safety Awareness Month. As the days get shorter and the nights get cooler, many of us in western PA are huddling around campfires and stacking wood in our hearths. Many forget, however, that the fire of the year is a potential hazard that could cost you your home and may even be fatal to you and your close family and friends.
Safety issues to consider when lighting a fire include residue in chimneys, a clogged flue, and dried branches and leaves that may have landed around your campfire. Because it is Fire Safety Awareness Month and October is almost over, we would like to address a few issues that you should take into consideration all year long, not just in the fall.
For your information, we have put together some great safety tips for you and your family. First, we recommend that you teach your children proper fire safety. Protecting your kids from access to fire-starting devices such as matches and lighters can save their lives and yours. It’s also important to closely inspect your chimney at least four times a year. And time your chimney checks up with when you’re going to be opening your fireplace for the first time of the season.
We recommend that you do an audit of the area surrounding your fireplace or fire pit. If there is something laying around that looks like a potential hazard, then it probably is and you should move it. Also, since it is Fire Safety Month, many fire departments will offer free inspections and even give you free smoke detectors.
More than anything, make it a point to check the fire detectors that you do have. And be sure to have updated carbon monoxide detectors as well. You can also set up an emergency evacuation kit with water, salves, food, blankets, clothes, and a list of emergency contacts. It’s also important to be sure that your homeowner’s insurance is paid and up to date. This is something you can easily put off and forget about, but when disaster strikes, you can be left in the dark
Of course, accidents always happen, but that doesn’t mean that someone isn’t responsible for what happened. If you have experienced a fire and you believe someone or a manufacturer of something is to blame, call the Pittsburgh personal injury attorneys at Goodrich and Geist at 800-806-2456 today.
