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Dousing fire's threat through awareness
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Published: October 2, 2009
Although $30,000 in damage was done to their home, two Patterson Avenue residents were able to safely escape their house on Sunday afternoon when an electrical fire began.
However, burns and injuries are always possible when a blaze breaks out in a home, says Mooresville Fire Marshal Gary Styers, underscoring the importance of Fire Prevention Week, which begins this Sunday.
From Oct. 4 to 10, the MFD will partner with the National Fire Prevention Association to urge town residents to "Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned." during the 85th annual Fire Prevention Week.
This year's theme, he said, concentrates on some of the injuries fire departments across the country, state and region regularly see as a result people making unwise decisions when it comes to fire, such as fighting the blaze or not taking the necessary precautions when cooking.
"Each year roughly 3,000 people die as a result of home fires and burns, and more than 200,000 individuals are seen in the nation's emergency rooms for burn injuries," notes an MFD release.
Styers mentioned a fire several months ago that resulted in burn injuries to two men who attempted to fight a local home fire. Although the blaze was minor, "two folks got injured" because they tried to extinguish the fire themselves.
"This is something we see pretty often," he added.
The fire marshal cited another blaze in June, on Spencer Street, where a kitchen fire erupted after one of the home's residents fell asleep while cooking. Nobody was injured in that fire, thanks to smoke alarms said Styers, but approximately $60,000 in damage resulted.
Kitchen fires, he noted, have been the leading cause of fire both locally and nationally for several years, highlighting a need to educate the community about preventing fires and burns.
"Have a plan in case of a fire," Styers said, mentioning one of many tips he offers as Fire Prevention Week begins.
Some others include:
· Keep hot foods and liquids away from tables and counter edges so they cannot be pulled or knocked over.
· Have a 3-foot "kid-free" zone around the stove.
· Never hold a child in your arms while preparing hot food or drinking a hot beverage.
· Be careful when using things that get hot such as curling irons, oven, irons, lamps and heaters.
· Install tamper-resistant receptacles to prevent a child from sticking an object in the outlet.
· Never leave a child alone in a room with a lit candle, portable heater, lit fireplace or stove, or where a hot appliance might be in use.
· Wear short or close-fitting sleeves when cooking.
· Set your hot water temperature no higher than 120 degrees.
· Install anti-scald valves on shower heads and faucets.
Added Styers, "Make sure whether you're a renter or a homeowner, you have insurance."
Noting Sunday's fire on Patterson Avenue, he said those residents will be displaced for quite some time as their home is repaired. However, because they had insurance, they won't lose everything that the fire consumed.
Styers also highly recommended residential sprinkler systems, which he said have grown in popularity throughout town because of their ability to quickly recognize and douse a fire.
"There have been two documented cases within the last year where the sprinkler went off and saved the apartment from major damage," said Styers. "We've had some successful saves from residential sprinklers."
These tips are just several to consider during Fire Prevention Week and throughout the year, said Styers as he reminded residents that Nov. 1 marks the end of Daylight Savings Time and is a good time to change batteries in smoke detectors.
"Change the batteries twice a year when the time changes," he added. "It's the number one insurance policy you have against a house fire."
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