Thursday, October 02, 2008

Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services urges the community to ‘Prevent Home Fires’

Fire damaged two homes in a four-family housing complex on Stable Court in Fort Belvoir’s Woodlawn Village last Oct. 11, leaving two families temporarily displaced. No one was injured in the fire but it resulted in an estimated $100,000 in damages to the two homes. According to the post’s Fire and Emergency Services, the fire was determined to be accidental, caused by unattended cooking on the stovetop.

A pot holder too close to a lit burner or a space heater left on overnight could be all it takes to start a home fire. In fact, cooking and heating are among the
leading causes of home fires in the United States, according to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association.

According the latest research from NFPA, more than 2,500 people died in home fires in the United States in 2006, and 12,500 were injured. Fire departments responded to 396,000 home fires, which caused $6.8 billion in direct damage and accounted for 80 percent of civilian deaths and 76 percent of injuries that year.
That’s why Fire and Emergency Services is teaming up with NFPA during Fire Prevention Week, Sunday to Oct. 11, to urge Belvoir residents to prevent home fires.

The theme of this year’s campaign, “Prevent Home Fires,” focuses on preventing the leading causes of home fires – cooking, heating and electrical equipment, and smoking materials. Additionally, fire safety educators will teach local residents how to plan and practice escape from a home in case a fire occurs.

While the number of home fires is daunting, the good news is that many are easily preventable when residents take simple steps to increase their safety from fire. Whether it’s smoking outside the home, keeping space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn, or staying in the kitchen when using the stovetop, there are easy ways to keep homes and families safe from fire.

Cooking: Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period time, turn off the stove.

Heating: Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least three feet away from heating equipment.

Electrical: Replace cracked and damaged electrical cords; use extension cords for temporary wiring only. Consider having additional circuits or receptacles added by a qualified electrician.

Smoking: If you smoke, smoke outside; wherever you smoke, use deep, sturdy ashtrays. For a checklist of other prevention measures, visit the Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services or download one from http://www.firepreventionweek.org.