The Garage Plan Shop Blog

Fire Prevention Week is next week, October 3-9, 2010. In an effort to raise awareness about home fires and fire safety, The Garage Plan Shop wants to share this list of facts about home fires and smoke alarms. The information was reported by the National Fire Prevention Association.

·         Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a reported fire by 50%.

·         Approximately 75% of all homes in the United States have at least one working smoke alarm.

·         In just three years (2003-2006), two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes that did not have a smoke alarm system or did not have a working smoke alarm. It is highly recommended that you install a working smoke alarm and keep dry chemical extinguishers in your fire extinguisher cabinets at all times.

·         The results from a 2008 telephone survey reported, only 12% of participants knew smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.

·         In home fires large enough to activate a smoke alarm, hard-wired alarms operated properly over 90% of the time, while battery operated alarms only operated properly 75% of the time.

·         Cooking is the # 1 cause of house fires and injuries.

·         Nearly 3000 people die in the US every year in home fires.

·         Smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths.

·         Heating is the second leading cause of house fires, fire deaths and fire injuries.

·         Electrical malfunctions and failures are factors in nearly 50,000 reported fires every year.

·         In 2008, someone was injured in a reported home fire every 40 minutes.

·         In 2008, approximately eight people died in home fires every day.

·         In 2008, a fire department responded to a home fire every 82 seconds.

·         In 2008, 83% of all fire deaths and 79% of fire injuries resulted from home fires.

These facts about home fires and smoke alarms are alarming. Don’t wait any longer! Now is the time to practice fire safety and fire prevention at home. Look for our upcoming blog filled with information you can use to protect yourself, your family and your home form a potential house fire.

Tags: fire prevention, fire prevention week, fire safety, fire safety facts, home fires, smoke alarms

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