House Fire Information

House Fires
Each year there are over 10,000 house fires in Australia, causing more than 1,500 injuries and 70 deaths. [Australian Bureau of Statistics: Australian Social Trends 2000 - Housing - Housing Stock: Home fire safety]. The tragedy is that most are started by accident and could have been prevented. House fires can happen to anyone, but there are some easy things you can do to reduce the risks.

Protect your property

House fires are caused most commonly by cooking, smoking and electrical faults in wiring or appliances. About 30% of house fires start in the kitchen - don't leave the room while food is cooking on the stove. If a fire starts, put a lid over the burning pan or use a fire extinguisher; never move a fire.

Never throw water on a burning fat or oil fire as it will cause an explosive reaction.

Keep curtains, electrical cords, tea towels and your dressing gown sleeves well away from a hot plate or gas flame.

Make sure cigarette butts are put out properly before throwing them away and never smoke in bed. Tiny embers can smoulder in the bedding without you noticing and burst into flames later.

Faulty wiring, overloaded power points and faulty appliances can all start fires. Don't do your own electrical wiring, call a qualified electrician and either get broken appliances fixed or throw them away.

Don't put electrical cords under rugs, over nails or in high traffic areas, as walking on cords can break wiring and possibly cause a fire.

Make sure there's plenty of air around your TV, video, stereo and computer equipment so it doesn't overheat.

Protect your family

Most deaths from house fires occur at night when people are asleep. Smoke inhalation and asphyxiation are the leading causes. Many fires will be confined to one room, but are still dangerous as smoke can fill a house in just a few minutes. People often overestimate the time they would have to escape a fire. But in real life, you may have no idea where the fire is, you'll hardly be able to see anything and you'll find it very difficult to breathe. It's easy to panic, with tragic results.

Smoke alarms are essential to give you early warning of a fire in your home, especially at night. You can't smell smoke when you're asleep. And don't count on the kids reacting to an alarm; studies show 85% of children won't wake up if it goes off.

In a fire, every second counts. Don't stop to gather possessions, pets or call the fire brigade. Your only priority is to get out. Call '000' (triple zero) from your neighbour's phone.

What is FIRE?

Smoke and toxic gases can be as deadly as heat and flames. Actually, the majority of people die or get injured in fires because of exposure to hazardous smoke and toxic gases and not actual burns. In addition, smoke often obscures vision and thereby decreases the ability of fire victims to escape. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the major cause of death following smoke inhalation.

What is fire?

Fires start in three main ways:

Accidents (e.g. misuse of appliances, dropping a cigarette or match on a sofa or mattress, etc.)
Deliberate ignition or arson
Equipment failure including electrical malfunctions and overheating
Fire is the result of a chemical reaction between oxygen and some sort of fuel (for example a TV or sofa). When a heat source, such as a candle or a cigarette, heats the fuel to its ignition temperature, a combustion reaction is triggered and a fire is the result.


How to prevent fire?

The best solution to stop a fire is to prevent it from starting.
To avoid a fire from developing or spreading, the chemical reaction between the oxygen, fuel and heat source has to be prevented or broken.
This can be done by taking away one of the three elements, needed to keep the chain reaction going.
And that is exactly what flame retardants are designed to do.

WHAT TO DO AFTER A FIRE

The following are guidelines for different circumstances in the period following a fire:

If you are with burn victims, or are a burn victim yourself, call 9-1-1; cool and cover burns to reduce chance of further injury or infection.

If you detect heat or smoke when entering a damaged building, evacuate immediately.

If you are a tenant, contact the landlord.

If you have a safe or strong box, do not try to open it. It can hold intense heat for several hours. If the door is opened before the box has cooled, the contents could burst into flames.

If you must leave your home because a building inspector says the building is unsafe, ask someone you trust to watch the property during your absence.

FIRE

Each year, more than 4,000 Americans die and more than 25,000 are injured in fires, many of which could be prevented. Direct property loss due to fires is estimated at $8.6 billion annually.

To protect yourself, it is important to understand the basic characteristics of fire. Fire spreads quickly; there is no time to gather valuables or make a phone call. In just two minutes, a fire can become life-threatening. In five minutes, a residence can be engulfed in flames.

Heat and smoke from fire can be more dangerous than the flames. Inhaling the super-hot air can sear your lungs. Fire produces poisonous gases that make you disoriented and drowsy. Instead of being awakened by a fire, you may fall into a deeper sleep. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a three-to-one ratio