12 Simple Ways to Fireproof Your Home for Summer

Summer leaves ample room for accidents when it comes to fire. While we’re off enjoying the weather, simple things can go wrong resulting in a fire that spreads like, well, wildfire. Keep a fire safety plan in play all year and go over it with children every season to ensure they know what to do should disaster strike.Taking the proper precautions to fireproof your home for summer will help you avoid an accident and can save lives.

Keep up with fireproofing through the summer by implementing these simple tools for the season. When in doubt, get the opinion of an expert (as in the case of overloaded wires). While it may cost you for a home visit, you can be sure your family is safe and any faulty hazards are taken care of immediately. This can wind up saving your life and a lot of money in home insurance.

Get rid of excess stuff. If you never get around to spring cleaning, make sure your home is rid of any excess once summer rolls around. The more stuff you have, the more quickly even the smallest fire can spread. This doesn’t mean you get rid of everything you aren’t using, but be sensible in deciding what actually gets use in your home. Get rid of clothes that don’t fit or are seldom worn and move out any toys your children no longer play with. Sort items into those that should be discarded and those which are still in wearable or usable condition, which can be donated to a local charity or thrift shop. If you make this a project for the family, it can go by relatively quickly and usually needs a single Saturday or Sunday devoted to the job.

Swap your candles for infused bamboo. Summer means you’re busy keeping up with extra activities and simply enjoying the season. Instead of worrying about candles, invest in a set of bamboo sticks and essential oils. These are available at high end shops and eco-friendly boutiques and run about $30, but last for months. Fill a bottle with the oils provided and stick a few bamboo sticks inside. The bamboo sticks become infused with the oils’ scent and releases a beautiful aroma into the air. For best results, flip the bamboo sticks every few hours for the most potent scent. This removes the work and hazard of having candles burning during warm weather, but still gives you a gorgeous smell to come home to.

Double check your smoke alarms. Each home should have a smoke alarm that is working at all times. Smoke alarms should be checked twice a year and replaced if there’s any faulty wiring or a glitch that prevents the alarm from going off at the appropriate time. Prior to summer, check your smoke alarm and make sure it is working. Also make sure any children in the home recognize the sound of the smoke alarm and are aware of what to do should they hear it go off. Practicing a fire alarm drill similar to those done in school is a smart way to give kids a dry run of what should occur if the fire alarm goes off.

For the final nine ways to fire proof your home visit Jessica Martin's Fire Science Degree blog at:
http://www.firesciencedegree.com/12-simple-ways-to-fireproof-your-home-for-summer/