Should you have a fire extinguisher at home?

A fire can be extremely dangerous, whether in the home or a work setting. Unfortunately, fires can spread quickly and what may start as a localised fire can quickly spread to adjacent rooms, engulfing items and filling rooms with dangerous smoke within minutes. You risk damage to or loss of property, smoke inhalation, injuries, or even death if you become trapped in a fire.

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What causes house fires?

Fires in the home can be accidentally started in a variety of ways. One of the most common causes for a fire to start at home is the use of cooking appliances, including gas stoves, fryers, and chip pans. Examples include hot fat or grease catching fire or nearby objects such as tea towels or kitchen roll setting alight if placed too near the hob. For this reason, a fire blanket located in the kitchen is a necessity to put out these sorts of fires quickly and safely.

Another major culprit of house fires is smoking. Falling asleep while holding a lit cigarette or dropping it onto a flammable surface can start a fire that spreads in seconds, putting you and your home in danger. Likewise, scented candles and other sources of open flames are a risk.

Is a fire extinguisher a good idea?

According to Gov.uk, the best way to protect your home from a house fire starting is to have a working smoke alarm installed. A smoke alarm will emit a loud sound as soon as any smoke is detected, giving you ample time to exit the property safely.

For support in making your house or premises as fire safe as possible, consider fire risk assessment Gloucester or any other location using a specialist such as apmfireandsecurity.com/fire-risk-assessment/gloucester/.

Having a fire extinguisher at home can be an ideal solution to quickly and safely deal with a small, contained fire. They are not all that expensive, making this a low-cost way to increase fire safety in your house. At the very least, a fire extinguisher will provide peace of mind.