How a home's interior doors can protect you during fire if there's no other way out
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- You never know when an emergency might come up at your home, and when it comes to keeping your family safe, time is precious.
ABC13 talked to the fire and EMS teams at Community Volunteer Fire Department, which serves parts of both Harris and Fort Bend Counties. Their district covers from just east of Highway 6 to just west of State Highway 99.
According to the team, kitchen fires make up about half of the home fires that they respond to.
One of the most common mistakes people make is putting water on an oil or grease-based fire. However when you do that, the grease violently expands and that fire spreads quickly. Instead, turn off the heat source if it's safe to do so and follow this tip.
"When you have a grease fire, you either want to cover it with a cooking lid, you can put baking soda or salt on it, or you can use a fire extinguisher, said Kris Parrent, public information officer for Community VFD. "The baking soda and salt, they act as a smother for the fire and so they take away that oxygen that the fire needs to keep going."
Speaking of fire extinguishers, remember that they have different ratings. For households the most common extinguisher to have is one that covers Classes A, B and C.
Next, check if your fire extinguisher is properly charged by making sure the arrow is still inside the green area on the pressure gauge. If it's not, it's time to either buy a new one or take it to be recharged. If you go with the latter, any certified fire extinguisher service company should be able to handle that for you. Cost will vary depending on the size and type of the device.
If nothing else, remember the word "PASS" for how to use a fire extinguisher.
"P" is pull the pin, "A" stands for aim the hose, "S" stands for squeeze the handle and the second "S" is for sweep the extinguisher along the base of the fire until it's out.
Most homes don't have a fire extinguisher, so residents are encouraged to get one and keep it in a place that's easily accessible, like the kitchen area.
Watch: Here's a demonstration of how to put out a kitchen fire, plus what to know on fire extinguishers
Other types of fires
An electrical fire is another common household fire that first responders often see.
One of the ways they can be prevented is by checking your power strips. Even if a strip has six outlets on it, that doesn't mean it can continuously run six high-powered devices.
Instead, make sure the devices you're plugging in are appropriately rated for the power outlets that you're using.
Every extension cord has a current rating on it. If you read the wiring and look at your devices, everything that plugs in has information on the device itself about how much power it uses, so you just have to make sure that the devices which are plugged in are less than the power requirements of your extension cord.
Extension cords are also a common cause of garage fires because people may have a refrigerator or freezer plugged into them.
"What we want people to remember is that extension cords aren't meant for permanent use, and especially for those high-powered appliances, which are drawing a lot of power, they're going to heat up and risk causing it to melt and start a fire," Parrent told ABC13.
If you're working outside on your car or tackling other projects that involve oil or flammable liquids, make sure that any rags covered in those substances are spread out and thoroughly dried.
You don't want to leave rags in a pile, especially in a hot garage because they can heat up and spontaneously start fires. Instead, let the rags spread out away from combustibles and dry outside naturally.
Fire escape plans
As part of any fire escape plan at your home, be sure to have at least two ways out of every room, such as a door or a window.
If that doesn't work, look for a room without fire inside of it and close that door.
Photos shared with ABC13 show the aftermath of a fire that started in the living room of a home last November.
But the bedroom was mostly untouched because the door was shut at the time.
The interior doors of homes, when closed, should be able to protect you for at least 20 minutes, which usually gives the fire department enough time to get to you.
It's why officials say they even encourage people to sleep with their bedroom doors shut.
"By closing the door, what you're doing is keeping the fire from going into the room, but you're also keeping the smoke out. And one of the things to remember, most of the victims don't die from burns inside a fire. They die from inhaling that smoke that's really hot, can burn your lungs and keeps the oxygen out of your body," Parrent said.
If you plan to move into an apartment, pay attention to if there's a fire sprinkler system. Ask to see the apartment beforehand and look for the white plastic covers or the actual sprinkler head down below the ceiling.
"In apartment buildings, that would be a good question to ask your landlord, are there any fire barriers in the attic?" Parrent recommended.
If you have questions about the fire code and sprinkler system requirements at your apartment building, you can reach out to your local fire marshal's office for more information on the fire code that applies where you live.
Lastly, don't forget to check your smoke alarms regularly. They expire after 10 years. Of course, if a fire does get out of hand, don't hesitate to call 911.
