Last month, a mother and her two young children perished in a house fire in Oak Harbor. It happened just one week before Christmas while dad was away shopping for presents.
Tragedies such as these are almost too horrible to think about. People naturally recoil from them. But, turning our heads because it strikes too close to home can be a fatal mistake. According to the National Fire Protection Association, over 1.3 million fires were recorded in 2015, causing 3,280 deaths, 15,700 injuries and $14.3 billion in property damages. That’s one death every two hours and 40 minutes.
The fact is fires kill. Fortunately, there’s some basic things people can do to reduce the risk of a damaging or potentially fatal fire, especially those that occur in the home. It all starts with a $2 battery. Fire alarms need to be checked, cleaned and tested monthly. No exceptions. Delaying or putting off this essential chore can have tragic consequences.
Roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or the alarms are not working, according to the NFPA.
Similarly, fire alarms should be replaced every 10 years. Check the sticker on the back for their date of manufacture. If you are replacing, it’s a good time to upgrade to alarms that are interconnected — when one sounds, they all sound. It’s also a good idea to purchase both kinds of fire alarms: ionization alarms, which are quicker to warn about flaming fires, and photoelectric alarms, which are quicker to warn about smoldering fires. There are also options for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing; smoke alarms are made with strobe lights and bed shakers.
The Red Cross offers free alarms and installation.
Also, make sure you have them in the right places. Smoke alarms should be mounted on the ceiling or high on a wall, inside and outside each bedroom and sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.
There are other preventive safety steps one can take. Those with chimneys should have them cleaned once a year to reduce the risk of chimney fires, South Whidbey Fire/EMS Chief Rusty Palmer said. The district has had two this week already; it had a total of eight in 2016.
Finally, space heaters should be treated with extreme caution. Only buy ones that are “UL” tested and automatically shut off when tipped over. Electric heaters with internal components that glow red cause the most fires; oil radiator-type heaters are a safer alternative, but all need their space.
The December blaze that claimed the family in Oak Harbor is still being investigated, but authorities believe it was caused either by a space heater or an extension cord being used to power the device.
There were 58 fires on South Whidbey in 2016, resulting in over $175,000 in damages. And island-wide, three people died. Don’t take chances. Get your smoke detectors checked out, clean that chimney and take extra care when it comes to personal space heaters. Your life may depend on it.
