Home fires can be devastating. Once the firefighters put out the fire, a trusted fire and water damage restoration company can provide cleanup, soot removal, and water damage restoration to restore the home. But how do these fires start, and what should homeowners do to stay safe if the home catches fire?
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The National Fire Protection Association states that the top five causes of home fires are cooking, electrical, heating, candles, and smoking. Regardless of the cause, there is no doubt that home fires can spread quickly and so it’s important to know what to do when a fire starts inside the home.
What to Do When a Fire Starts
If a fire starts in the home, immediately shout and get everyone’s attention . If possible, use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire as quickly as possible to prevent the fire from spreading. If there is no fire extinguisher, exit the home immediately without stopping to retrieve any belongings.
How to Get Out of the Home
In a house fire, certain rooms can trap flames. Once the door is open, the fire travels rapidly, cutting off the exit. This is why it's helpful to know exactly how to exit the home in the event of a house fire.
Steps to take to exit safely include:
- Have an escape route already planned out
- Do not try to figure out where the fire is coming from
- Before opening a door, put your hand on it to see if it's warm. If it is, keep it closed since there may be fire on that side.
- Crawl on the floor while exiting the house because smoke rises. Smoke can kill you, and the clean air will be closest to the floor.
- Only open the doors you need to since opening the doors causes the fire to spread.
- Stay together with the family if possible.
Call 911 as soon as everyone is safely out of the home.
What to Do After the Fire
Depending on the severity of the fire, there is likely a lot of work ahead especially cleaning up the residual ashes and removing the smell of smoke. This can be a hard job to do without the right tools and equipment. This is why it’s better to hire a fire and water damage restoration team to provide trusted water and fire damage restoration services.
If there is property damage to the home after the firefighters extinguish the fire, a professional fire and water damage restoration company like Austin Fire and Flood can provide restoration services to help with the aftermath of a house fire.
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Complete Restoration after Home Fires from Austin Fire and Flood
Having a professional fire and water damage restoration team is one of the best solutions to cleaning up after a fire. When you select Austin Fire and Flood, their experienced and knowledgeable technicians will work immediately to restore the home. They also provide a range of restoration services, including water damage cleanup and mold remediation services, in North Shoal Creek, TX, and the Austin area.
Contact Austin Fire and Flood at (512) 912-6814 to schedule fire and water damage cleanup or mold remediation services today.
