Entry bubble Fire Prevention

By: Ginger | February 05, 2010 | Category: Home and Family

Male firefighterWhen I was in college, students, who had a little too much to drink, were always pulling the dorm fire alarms in the middle of the night and then running off. These alarm pranks had become a real problem in my dorm and seemed to be happening weekly.

I considered myself lucky that I lived on the ground floor and sometimes I would be a little slow evacuating my room. I assumed it was always just another prank. I had a friend in the dorm who took the fire alarm very seriously and she would come bang on the door to make sure we were getting up and going outside. She became upset with my slacker attitude about evacuating my room every time the fire alarm went off.

I found out why. She lost 2 brothers in a house fire. Her family lived out in the country on a farm, and frequently used a space heater during the winter. Her parents woke up in the middle of the night to flames and smoke. They were able to get my friend and her sisters out of the house, but the little boys were upstairs in a back bedroom and fire blocked the way.

Her father had loaned his ladder to a neighbor, so when he couldn't get up the stairs, he ran outside to their bedroom window in an attempt to get the boys to jump out the window. The boys were afraid and wouldn't jump. Her father ran to the neighbor's house to get the ladder, but by the time he got back, the heat and flames kept him from getting into the bedroom. The fire department came, but it was too late. The boys' bodies were found huddled together in the closet.

Across the country, stories similar to this one happen all too frequently. In the District of Columbia alone, 9 people died in home fires in January of 2009. January and February are typically the busiest months of the year for firefighters.

Firefighters will tell you that a small fire can become an out of control fire within minutes. Plan ahead and practice escape routes with every member of your family. Knowing what to do and doing it quickly can save your family. Check out these resources and learn more about preventing home fires, steps to take to survive a fire, and what to do to after a fire:

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: fire_prevention   fire_safety   ginger   home_safety  

 

Entry bubble Campfire Safety

By: Colleen | July 16, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

The fresh air. The nighttime chirping of crickets. Getting up at dawn to watch the sunrise.campfire

For some people, there is no better experience than a camping adventure to one of our National Parks. For me? Yech! In my mind, camping is the Holiday Inn. Give me air conditioning, a real bed, and indoor plumbing—thank you very much.

But, there is one element of camping I thoroughly enjoy—the classic campfire. There's something about a hot dog being cooked on a stick over an open flame that just makes it taste better. And the best summertime dessert? It's gotta be a s'more.

As much fun as campfires are, they can also be very dangerous. It's important to know how to properly build and clean up an outdoor fire.

  • Before doing anything, be sure your site is an area where campfire building is allowed. Many areas and parks are restricted. Also make sure that present weather conditions allow for fires to be built. Windy or extra dry days can raise a temporary ban on fires. 
  • Always have plenty of water on hand - just in case.
  • Never build a fire where branches hang overhead or in an area on a slant or slope.
  • Keep your fire small and surround your coals with a circle of rocks. Use a fire ring if it's available.
  • Don't leave the fire unattended. A small breeze can easily cause spreading.

Equally as important as properly building your fire is putting it out.

  • Completely drown the fire in water. Move embers around to be sure nothing on the bottom is still lit.
  • Stir the remains and drown again.
  • Feel the ground with your hand to be sure no roots are burning.

In the infamous words of one of my favorite bears (Fozzie has to be the front-runner), "Only you can prevent forest fires!" And you outdoorsy types know it's best not to tick off a bear.

| View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: campfire   colleen   fire_safety   safety