How to Prevent These Common Summer Home Disasters

Summer is a fun season, but not without its dangers. While we enjoy cookouts and picnics and time off from work and school, we still have to remember home safety. Here are a few of the disasters that happen in summer and along with summer safety tips to prevent them.

Fires

In many areas, fires are most likely during winter, due to heating mishaps. This happens in southern California too. But we also experience extreme dry heats that make a home fire disaster more likely. Here is some fire safety advice to prevent summer home fires:

• Maintain or Upgrade your Smoke Alarms – New smoke alarms work as a system. When one goes off, it sets the others off. They also can be hard-wired to your electrical system in addition to a battery backup. Test your smoke alarms regularly.
• Kitchen Fires – The most common source of home fires is cooking. Never leave a hot stove or oven unattended. Keep oven mitts and dish rags away from the hot stovetop. Grease and oil fires are very common. Don’t throw water on an oil or grease fire. It will make it worse. Smother the flame with a lid or carefully put it into the oven to deprive it of oxygen. Don’t make jerky motions, as the hot oil or grease can spill, causing damage or injury.
• Electrical Fires – We sure run our air conditioners a lot in southern California during the summer. This can put a strain on our electrical system that could lead to an electrical fire. If your home has an older electrical system and you have flickering lights or hear crackling sounds in the walls or outlets, get your system checked out by a professional. Some old parts may need to be replaced. This improves safety but also can improve efficiency, saving you money over time.
• Yard Safety – Many fires are caused by burning yard trash, combined with dried vegetation. Clean up any dry brush you may have on your grounds, and be extremely careful if you must burn yard waste. Don’t leave it unattended for a second, and obey all local regulations.

Of course, there are other dangers in the summer besides fire. High temperatures and humidity can cause mold, so keep your AC running. And watch out for summer storms which can cause flooding.

In the unfortunate event that you experience a summer fire in your home, call Pacific Flood Restoration for professional fire restoration services. It is important that the cleanup begins as soon as possible. Smoke residues are acidic in nature and with time they will cause surfaces to corrode and stain permanently. Smoke residues that were pressurized during the fire will permeate cracks and crevices of building materials and deposit odor-causing residues.

Pacific Flood Restoration’s service professionals will work quickly to minimize fire damage and restore your home and contents back to pre-fire condition by using cleaning systems and equipment that will help eliminate costly replacement of restorable items.