Fires occur more often than we would like them to. In 2014, there were 494,000 structure fires, causing 2,860 civilian deaths, 13,425 civilian injuries, and $9.8 billion in property damage. It was estimated that one home structure fire was reported every 86 seconds and one civilian fire injury was reported every 33 minutes. Make sure you are ready for a fire in your home. Having fire extinguishers and having the right type of fire extinguisher can help protect your home from fire damage and protect you and your family from injury. While fire extinguishers may not lower the cost of home insurance, it is important to have them to prevent damage to your home. Ultimately, this can save you money from having to pay for any damage done that is not already covered by home insurance.

Types of Fire Extinguishers

Make sure you know the different options for fire extinguishers and what types of fires they should be used for. While there are many kinds of extinguishers, here are the four different classifications of them that can be used in a home and make your home insurance provider happy.

Type A: This type of extinguisher should be used for combustible materials like wood, cloth, and paper. 

Type B: This extinguisher should be used for flammable liquid fires. Some liquids would include gasoline, kerosene, and oil. NEVER use water or a Type A fire extinguisher to put out this kind of fire. Using water will spread the flames and make the fire larger. If you do not have a Type B fire extinguisher, try to use flour, sand, or another dry material to put out the fire.

Type C: This type should be used for fires involving energized electrical equipment. These fires are usually caused by faulty electrical outlets and old, outdated appliances. Other causes could be from space heaters or misuse of extensions cords.

Type ABC: This fire extinguisher can be used on all types of fires listed above.

Type K: This extinguisher can be used to put out grease fires that could occur in the kitchen. Once again, do not use water for these fires as it could make the fire spread. 

Keeping Your Home Safe

Again, having fire extinguishers may or may not affect the cost of home insurance, but having them on each floor of your home could give you greater chance of saving some money. One thing that should reduce your home insurance rate is installing smoke detectors. They cannot prevent fires in your home, but will alert you when there is smoke and before the fire starts to grow. Many young children are taught about fire safety in school, but make sure your family has a plan for evacuation in case of a fire in your home.

Other Fire Prevention Tips

Here are some other tips for preventing fires in and around your home:

• Keep grills and fire pits at least twenty feet away from all structures.
• Never use electronics and appliances with frayed or outdated electrical wiring
• Keep space heaters away from curtains, rugs, couches, and other combustible materials.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding house fires, contact your home insurance agent or give us a call. We want you and your home to be safe from these disasters that happen all too often. Be sure to take a look at more of our blog posts for more home insurance tips

Resources:

http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics/fires-in-the-us

http://femalifesafety.org/

https://www.firerecruit.com/articles/1206100-5-common-causes-of-electrical-fires