Are your smoke detectors working?

[Rick Lee]

No, not for your oil-burning Porsches. We've all set off smoke detectors while cooking and often just taken the battery out and then left it that way. At least I always did before I had this house.

I had a terrifying drama in my house early this morning, which did not turn into a tragedy ONLY because I have good, working smoke detectors. I had a candle burning in a decorative basket and didn't notice it when I killed the lights and tv on my way to bed at 11:15pm. At 2:43am I awoke to a very loud beeping noise and could see the glow of flames in my living room from my bed. This is a very scary sight, even if you live alone and know you can get out safely.

I keep fire extinguishers on my kitchen counter, in my garage and in my track car and will never ever again care how out of place one looks anywhere in the house. I was able to get the fire out without an extinguisher and took the glowing, burning basket to the huge pasta pot I had soaking in my sink. Now I have a large pool of melted wax on my glass coffee table and ashes everywhere. But that was the extent of the damage. I can't imagine how bad it would have gotten had my smoke detector not been working.

Check your batteries and check the dates on your fire extinguishers. No matter what it costs, it will be a small fraction of the damage not having a good smoke detector can cause. I am still shaken up by how close this came to being a big problem and I couldn't go back to sleep after this.

[legion]

My smoke detectors beep when the batteries get low.

And I know the one in the kitchen works.

[Rot 911]

I just want to know what a single guy is doing with candles in decorative baskets?

[Rick Lee]

It was from an ex and it was the closest one to me when I decided my Boa's cage was starting to stink.

[bell]

good save......
i had a friend in a scenario whose rented house burned down, fire started from the other renters downstairs, and he didn't have renters ins......so he lost everything.....and i mean everything .
i have fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and a hose hookup (for the fishtanks) should anything bad happen.

[Joeaksa]

My smoke detectors are dual voltage, and have 110v and 9v so should work even if the battery goes. That said, they beep when the battery gets low and are replaced.

Fire extinguishers on every floor of the house and three of them in the kitchen. Three more in the garage. Been in a fire and it left a lasting impression on me.

[Hugh R]

The National Fire Protection Association recommends that you change the batteries in your smoke detectors in the Spring when you go on daylight savings time. I do that every year.

[VINMAN]

"Now now, theres nothing wrong with a guy having decorative candles!"

[Rick Lee]

Yeah, Vinny. But any guy who looks like that is a pillow biter, candles or no candles.

[VINMAN]

I have smoke detectors in every room of my house. CO detectors on both floors and outside bedrooms. Being a firefighter and fire chief, I tend to err on the side of caution. Ive seen the sad result of no or
non- operating smoke detectors.

Glad everything turned out good Rick, that could have gotten out of control real fast.

[Drago]

I experienced a similar situation once.

Never, and I mean NEVER, let your G.F. or wife determine if the fire in the fireplace is extinguished fully before going to bed.

Waking up to a fire alarm in the middle of the night and seeing the flickering light from flames in the next room is not fun.

Our apartment neighbors were also not impressed.

[gchappel]

I know our smoke detectors work- my wife uses the one in the kitchen instead of an oven timer. I'm not saying my wife's cooking is bad, but we pray after we eat.
gary

[RoninLB]

Candle Safety Sparks The Theme For NFPA's Fire Prevention Week 2005

Quincy, MA - The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is urging the public to focus on candle safety during its Fire Prevention Week 2005, October 9-15. As the theme makes clear, emphasis is placed on the need for increased consumer caution: "Use Candles with Care: When you go out, blow out!"

NFPA's public safety campaign and related materials concentrate on home use of candles, which represent a uniquely residential concern. Nine out of 10 reported U.S. candle fires occur in homes.

Reported home candle fires rose 15 percent from 2000 to 2001, from 15,700 to 18,000, continuing a climb that began in 1990 when there were 5,500 candle fires.

Forty-one percent of home candles fires start in the bedroom, resulting in a quarter of associated fire deaths. Eleven percent of the home candle fires start after someone falls asleep. NFPA's research also shows that home candle fires follow a seasonal pattern. December has almost twice the number of home candle fires of an average month.

Leaving candles unattended and using candles for light were singled out in NFPA's analysis as serious fire problems. Always stay awake and in the room where candles are being burned. In a power outage, it is safer to use flashlights or other light sources generated by batteries. Never use a candle for light when checking pilot lights or fueling equipment such as a kerosene heater or lantern, as the flame could ignite flammable vapors.

Detailed information about home candle fires and trends, and specific fire safety advice to prevent candle fires, can be found in NFPA's Home Candle Fire report, available on NFPA's official Fire Prevention Week Web site. The Web site is home to a wide selection of free fire safety information.

NFPA offers these additional tips for safer use of candles in the home:

Always stay in the room where candles are being burned.
Keep lit candles at least one foot away from curtains, mattresses, and anything that can burn.
Keep candles, matches and lighters away from children.
Use sturdy candle holders that won't tip or burn.
Burn candles on sturdy, uncluttered surfaces.
Trim candle wicks to one-quarter inch before lighting.
When lighting candles, keep your hair and clothing away from the flame.
Extinguish candles when they burn to within two inches of their holder.
The best way to extinguish candles is with a snuffer, avoiding burns from hot wax or the flame.

[RoninLB]

Operation Decoration 2005: Keep That Spark of Holiday Cheer From Igniting Tragedy
Northbrook, IL - Christmas trees are among the most common holiday decorations for the coming yuletide, with 27 million live trees and 9 million artificial trees sold last year. But without proper safety in mind, they can also cause tragedy this holiday season.

"Celebrating the holidays involves a number of potentially hazardous situations if the right safety steps are not taken," said John Drengenberg, manager of Consumer Affairs for Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the not-for-profit safety testing organization. "Christmas trees, for instance, are significant fuel sources that we bring into our homes every year."

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Christmas trees were the items first ignited in an estimated average of 310 reported U.S. home structure fires per year in 1999-2002. These fires caused an average of 14 civilian deaths, 40 civilian injuries and $16.2 million in direct property damage per year. These statistics include both real and artificial trees.

On average, one in every 22 reported home Christmas tree fires resulted in a death.

"More than four of every 10 home Christmas tree fires are caused by an electrical problem or malfunction," said Judy Comoletti, assistant vice president for public education at the NFPA. "One in four Christmas tree fires resulted from a heat source placed too close to the tree. Candles were the heat source in 8 percent of these incidents. Seven percent were started by children playing with fire."

And there are plenty of other tragic accidents occurring during the winter holidays that don't involve Christmas trees:

Each year, 12,500 people are treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to holiday decorations;
An estimated average of 2,300 home candle fires were reported each December in 1999-2002; 11 percent of the December candle fires began with decorations.

"These are preventable tragedies," said Comoletti, who advised that all candles be extinguished whenever you leave the house or go to bed. "The most common causes of candle fires are candles burning too close to combustible materials, such as mattresses or bedding, furniture, curtains or walls, or candles left unattended."

UL also reminds consumers to inspect light strings for cracked sockets and frayed, bare or loose wires. Look for the holographic UL Mark on light strings and electrical decorations. The UL Mark means that UL engineers have tested samples of the product for safety hazards. If you're decorating outside, also be sure that all decorations and extension cords are rated for outdoor use. Lights intended for indoor-only use have green holographic UL Marks. Light strings intended for indoor and outdoor use have red holographic UL Marks.

"Damaged or misused electric light strings and extension cords, if left unchecked before you put them up, can deliver shocks and potentially cause home fires," Drengenberg said. "If they are damaged or have frayed wires, you should buy new ones. They are relatively cheap and incredibly good insurance for keeping your holiday season safe."

Finally, with 5,800 fall-related injuries during the holidays, ladder safety should be observed. Set ladders on firm, level surfaces and use the proper ladder length -outdoors, the ladder should extend 3 feet over the roofline. You should have someone hand you decorations whenever you are on a ladder, and only one person should be on the ladder at any time.

When the holidays are over, take down your lights. Light strings are not meant to be up more than 90 days. Any longer and the resulting damage could eventually cause a shock or fire hazard. And remember, even well-watered trees dry out after four or more weeks, so they should be taken down soon after the holidays.

[VINMAN]

The whole candle craze has really been keeping us firemen busy. Not only with carelss use of them, but also with the amount of crappy candles that they sell out there. We have had a large number of incidents where the glass jars that some of those gel candles come in have cracked and burst from the heat, igniting surrounding contents in the room. The cheap ones are very dangerous.
It's amazing some of the places I've seen people put candles, on a windowsill directly under the nice polyester drapery hanging about 4 inches above it, in a book case where you can see scorching under the shelf directly above the candle. People just dont use thier heads.
Rick lucked out big time, but mainly because he was prepared ahead of time. You'd be amazed at how fast a tiny flame spreads and a whole room ignites. Having an extinguisher was a smart move. Probably only less than 10 percent of homes actually have them.

[makaio]

Originally posted by VINMAN
The whole candle craze has really been keeping us firemen busy.

Yes it has. Half the structure fires that I go to are candle caused. 25% cooking caused and the rest are arson, or other acidental cause.

[dad911]

if they are more than 10 years old, change the whole detector.

[Rick Lee]

Got home last night and started cleaning up the mess. Luckily, the wax chipped off the glass top in big chunks and was no problem. Vacuuming the ashes was no fun. I woke up to go to the bathroom around 3am this morning and had to go take a look at the living room. Lesson learned!

I started a grass fire in TX when I was about 11 and it spread like I had used a flamethrower. My dad and all the neighbors came running out to the field with their shovels and got it all out, probably because the wind had died down. But those things do spread. I also witnessed a molotov cocktail smashing on someone's front door in college. That house burned to the ground in no time and the heat was very intense even across the street. I'll be mulling ove some more fire safety prep for my house this weekend.

[pmajka]

Remember to be up to Fire CODE in your area...

In Pennsylvania, its close to this

MInimum 2 on each floor.
1 in each bedroom.
1 in hallway leading to any bedroom.

[Rick Lee]

My condo was built in 2002, so I'm pretty sure it's up to code. But that's not good enough for me anymore. I'll be picking up a few more CO2 extinguishers this weekend and checking all the detectors closely.