Holiday Fire Safety Tips for Barberton / Norton Families

12/16/2024 (Permalink)

To ensure your family’s safety and peace of mind this holiday season, follow these fire prevention tips:

1. Be Mindful of Decorations

   • Choose flame-resistant or flame-retardant decorations whenever possible.
   • Avoid using real candles in decorations; opt for battery-operated LED candles instead.
   • Secure your Christmas tree to prevent tipping, and water it regularly to reduce fire risk if it’s real.

2. Inspect and Maintain Holiday Lights

   • Replace any lights with frayed wires, broken bulbs, or damaged plugs.
   • Don’t connect more light strings than the manufacturer recommends.
   • Use outdoor-rated lights for exterior decorations, and avoid running extension cords through snow or standing water.

3. Practice Kitchen Safety

   • Keep a fire extinguisher easily accessible in your kitchen.
   • Set timers to remind you of cooking tasks and avoid distractions.
   • If a grease fire occurs, smother it with a lid or baking soda—never use water.

4. Create an Emergency Plan

   • Ensure your family knows how to safely exit the house in case of a fire.
   • Test your smoke alarms regularly and replace batteries as needed.
   • Have SERVPRO of Barberton / Norton’s number handy for quick restoration assistance if disaster strikes.

Know the Facts: Fire Damage Statistics

4/16/2023 (Permalink)

We are "here to help" handle your home or business's fire damage restoration needs!

The unpredictable nature of fires can lead to so much devastation and loss for your home or business.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are around 346,800 house fires per year causing on average 2,620 fatalities.

Understanding the facts when it comes to fires can help you to better prepare your family and employees in case of disaster.

General Fire Facts & Stats

- Cooking is the leading cause of house fires, followed by:

• Heating
• Electrical Systems & Equipment
• Candles
• Smoking

- In 2020, fire and lightning insurance claims had the highest average payout of $77,340.

- On average, across the US, a fire department responded to a fire every 23 seconds in 2021.

- In 2021, there were 1,353,500 fires reported, including residential and non-residential structures.

- In 2020, per 1,000 fires, the national average was 2 deaths and 8 injuries.

Ohio Fire Facts & Stats

- Ohio has the 7th most fatal home fires per capita in relation to the other 50 states, with Texas being the first.

- Smoking is the top cause of fire deaths in the state of Ohio, making up 20% of fatalities.

It's difficult and scary to imagine your home or business experiencing a fire. It can be hard to determine where to start when a disaster like this occurs.

If your home or business falls victim to a fire, SERVPRO of Barberton/Norton is "here to help." Our experienced technicians handle the care and restoration of your property and its contents. We handle the cleanup and the reconstruction, so you don't have to worry about juggling multiple companies.

If you find yourself in need of fire damage restoration, give us a call today!

Preparation, Safety, & Handling the Aftermath: The Fire Guide

11/16/2022 (Permalink)

No matter the degree of fire damage, our pros will help get your home, and your life, back on track.

Be Prepared

Don’t Fail to Prepare! 

It is vital to be sure that your smoke detectors are installed properly and are maintained. Functioning smoke alarms can help reduce fire deaths and injuries, and keep your family and property safe.

Here’s what you need to know!

• A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Smoke alarms should be active in every sleeping room, and in other major areas of the home. Any door that remains closed for an extended period of time daily needs its own alarm.
• Smoke alarms should be interconnected. That way when one sounds, they all sound, alerting you in any part of your home.
• If you have a larger home, you may need to add in more smoke alarms to cover the extra space between them.
• Smoke alarms should be tested at least once a month. Every smoke alarm is equipped with a test button to check if they are working properly.
• Most smoke alarms today are more advanced, allowing them to more easily tell the difference between a real fire emergency and a common household occurrence, like blowing out a candle.
• When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
• Replace all smoke alarms in your home every 10 years. If a smoke alarm begins to beep indicating a low battery, be sure to replace it right away.

Use Caution While Cooking

Cooking can be a fun and social task, but without caution or care, it can lead to disaster. In order to keep you, your family, and your home safe, it is important to understand the best safety practices when in the kitchen.  

1. Always Be Present When Food Is Cooking

Never leave cooking food unattended. Kitchen fires can grow quickly, especially when there are no eyes present to catch them when they start. The most common causes of kitchen fires are inattention and distraction. If you need to work, consider bringing a phone or laptop into the kitchen to keep an eye on what’s cooking.  

2. Keep Children Away from the Stove

Not only is this important to keep your food from ending up on the floor, it is vital to communicate with your children the dangers of a stove, even when there is nothing cooking. Kids love to play with anything they can get their hands on, especially things they see their parents “playing” with. Keep your children away from stoves entirely to avoid unhappy accidents.

3. Regular Cleaning

It is easy for small pieces of food to fall into burners or be left behind in your oven. Although these individual scraps are essentially harmless beyond the occasional smell, a buildup can lead to a fire. Thankfully, cleaning your oven or stove top is a simple task you can do in just a few minutes.  

4. Keeping Appliances in Order

Not all kitchen fires originate from stoves or ovens. With the amount of kitchen appliances used today, from toasters to rice cookers to air fryers, your outlets can fill up quickly. When this happens, DO NOT plug in an extension cord or power strip. With all the commotion that comes with cooking, water can easily cause a short circuit, especially with a power extender, which can lead to a fire.

Accidents Happen: How to Bounce Back From a Fire

After a Fire

No one should have to deal with the grief and stress following a home or business fire. Unfortunately, disasters can strike at any time, no matter how much you prepare.

Following a fire, the best course of action is to allow restoration professionals to take on the burden of cleaning and restoring your home for you. SERVPRO of Barberton/Norton has the expertise and experience to tackle any size job that comes our way. We understand how challenging a time like this can be, so we help you work with your insurance while we take care of your property and its contents. We take care of you every step of the way, from the initial board up, to the cleanup, and all the way through the reconstruction, making it “like it never even happened.”

Beyond our services, you may be able to handle a few pieces of the mitigation process on your own, like odor removal.

Getting Rid of Smokey Odors After a Fire 

If you’ve suffered fire damage and need fire damage repair in Barberton/Norton, it’s best to call the experts at SERVPRO to sort it out. But if you’ve dealt with everything yourself, you may still be haunted by the lingering smell of ash and soot. There are several things you can do to get rid of that smell.

These remedies are inexpensive and simple ways to eliminate the everlasting smell that comes with a fire.

Baking soda is a natural odor absorber, so taking several bowls of it and placing them around your house for several days can slowly absorb a lot of the smell. Activated charcoal is another alternative for this same process. Also, weather permitting, you can open your doors and windows in order to get the smell out a bit faster.  

Another step you can take is washing your clothes with white vinegar, which will help get rid of the odors. If the smell remains after the initial wash, repeat the process until the odor is fully eliminated.  

If your home or business is in need of fire damage restoration in the Barberton/Norton areas, be sure to give our pros a call: 330-825-1803