Did you know that the fire brigade was called to fires at just over 27,000 dwellings last year?* Â Many of these were caused by electrical equipment misuses, mainly in cooking appliances. Â You can learn more about how to avoid electrical fires in our blog How To Avoid Electrical Fires In The Home (firechiefglobal.com).
Firechief recommend a few essential products to have within your home that are both designed to extinguish fires and protect users from fires. Below are the products we would advise you invest in:
An extinguisher is an important tool in protecting your home. In approximately 80% of all fire incidents, a simple portable fire extinguisher is all that is needed to put out the fire. These extinguishers are intended for use in tackling a small fire and stopping it from quickly engulfing your home. In terms of the number of extinguishers you should have in your home, you should try to have at least one per floor enabling it to be available in the case of an emergency. You can find out more about where you should have your extinguishers, and which type you need here.
It is just as important to know how to use an extinguisher as it is to actually have one. For advice on this, watch our video here.
A carbon monoxide alarm is incredibly important as the alarm will alert you when it detects a threat. CO is a colourless and odourless toxic gas, which is why it is dubbed ‘the silent killer.’  CO can be produced from appliances such as the boiler/cooker which are poorly maintained or fitted.
Fire Blankets are often located in the kitchen for Class F Fires (pan, oil, fat fires).  It acts by smothering, and therefore depriving the fire of oxygen when placed over the flames. It is a simple device and ideal for someone not used to using a fire extinguisher. A fire blanket can also be used to smother clothing that may catch fire when cooking.  This can be done by wrapping the fire blanket around the clothing/individual and performing ‘stop, drop and roll.’ Learn more about how fire blankets can save lives in our blog, Fire Blankets Can Save Lives! (firechiefglobal.com).
Every home should have a smoke alarm. Once you have one, it is important to check it at least once a month. It is also advised that you should install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home, ideally on the ceiling, in the middle of a room or on a hallway or landing. Smoke alarms should also be replaced every 10 years. Don’t forget to test your smoke alarms regularly, they can only do their job if they are in working order. Getting into the habit of ‘Test it Tuesday’ is a great way to remember!
Firechief Lith-Ex Extinguishers are the only extinguishers that are able to fully put out a lithium-ion battery fire. By simply dropping or crushing your mobile phone it can cause it to catch fire. Overcharging is another way that mobiles, devices, laptops etc can catch fire. Lithium-ion battery fires can quickly exceed temperatures of 800°C, which is three times hotter than an oven! Read more about how Firechief Lith-Ex Extinguishers work by reading our blog Firechief Introduces New Extended Lithium-ion Battery Safety Range (firechiefglobal.com).
Sometimes the safest way to escape from a fire is out of the window. This isn’t always an easy task especially if you are located on the second or third floor of your home when the fire begins. At Firechief, we have both two-storey and three-storey fire escape ladders that are compact and easy to store.
Finally, it is important that we educate our youngsters about the importance of Fire Safety within the home. Find out how to do this in our blog Fire Safety Education at Home (firechiefglobal.com). You can also learn more and visually see the products we advise in our YouTube video: Firechief Home & Leisure Fire Safety Products.
The Firechief range includes high-performance fire extinguishers, fire blankets, first aid kits, lithium-ion fire extinguishers for your home and leisure time. For more information, call us on +44 (0)330 999 0019 or email sales@firechiefglobal.com.
*According to Home Office Fire data for 2021
The information contained within this blog is provided solely for general informational and educational purposes and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Before taking any actions based upon this information, we advise the reader to consult any and all relevant statutory or regulatory guidance and where felt necessary to consult a qualified fire or industry regulation professional. The use or reliance on any information contained herein is solely at the reader’s risk.