Oily rags
Even if we keep our homes clean and clutter free, sometimes we slack a little in our garage. Maybe you have a pile of rags for wiping your oily hands or cleaning up spills. Talk about an overlooked fire hazard! Did you know you don’t even need an ignition source for these greasy items to burst into flames? “Oily rags really can combust on their own when piled together,” Ober says. It seems like magic, but it happens through a very real process called oxidation.
How to make it less dangerous
Instead of keeping oily rags for a rainy day, it’s best to discard them. Lay them flat (not in a pile) outside to dry, then submerge them in detergent and water in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Contact your municipality for disposal options.
Heating equipment
You might not have oily rags lying around, but you probably have another potential fire hazard in your garage: your water heater. Pilot lights on gas water heaters, furnaces, wood stoves and other heating equipment can ignite combustible material nearby, especially if the appliance isn’t maintained or the area is packed with junk.
How to make it less dangerous
“Keeping things organised and stacked away from heat sources is very important,” Ober says. Clutter, dust, wood shavings and boxes can all go up in flames in an instant if stored too close to ignition sources. Another tip for making sure your water heater doesn’t become a major fire hazard: Get your heating appliances inspected once a year, and always hire licenced repair technicians to perform maintenance.
Sleeping with the door open
This one sounds kind of strange, but it’s actually common knowledge among firefighters. If there’s a fire outside your bedroom, an open bedroom door is a deadly invitation for the flames to enter while you’re sleeping. During a fire, temperatures are 10 times higher in open bedrooms compared with closed rooms (over 550°C vs. 37°C).
How to make it less dangerous
When you go into your room to sleep at night, close the door behind you. In Ober’s experience, the simple act of closing doors to sleep stops flames from spreading and keeps the bedroom temperature from spiking. “[It] has saved numerous lives,” he says.
Do this for your kids too. This is also a great opportunity to practise multiple fire escape routes with your children.
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Source: RD.com
