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American Canyon Fire offers some critical safety information in their video: Fire Safety, Smoke Detectors.  You can click the video below to watch the short presentation. We have pulled some of their main points for you. 

1.  While there are many tools you can use to prevent home fires, the smoke detector is the most important.

2. Since the battery powered smoke detector was created, deaths due to home fires have been decreased by half.

3.  Everyone who lives in a home with a smoke detector needs to be familiar with the sound the detector makes when it is activated.

4.  There are still homes that do not have smoke detectors in them, and these homes account for about half of all deaths due to fire in the home.

5.  In one-fourth of the reported fires that occurred in homes that had smoke detectors, those detectors were not in working condition. Often, smoke detectors do not work due to batteries that are either dead, missing or are not connected to the smoke detector.

6.  There are now more homes with smoke detectors that do not work than there are homes that contain no smoke detectors.

7.  American Canyon Fire recommends testing your smoke detector every month by pushing the test button, and every six months you should change the batteries.  Keep in mind also, when you hear chirping from your smoke detector, it is a sign that the batteries are running low and should be replaced.

8.  American Canyon Fire also recommends clearing out cobwebs or debris from your smoke detector every six months, when you change the batteries. Spiders can cause false alarms from your smoke detectors.  Using a can of canned air to spray your detector is a great way to clean it out.

9.  Be sure you have a smoke detector on every floor of your home, even in the basement.

Click here to watch the entire video.

You may feel like your home is safe, but there are dangers lurking that you may not even know about. It only takes a second for a fire to start, and it can quickly escalate. Prevention is the best way to deal with fire, so let’s take a look at some fire hazards you may not be aware of.

1. “Daisy-Chaining” power strips. Power strips can be a great way to expand an outlet’s usability. However, they are not designed to be interconnected with other power strips or extension cords. In this newsletter, Harry J. Oster warns that interconnecting power strips and extension cords can present a fire hazard. If you use a power strip, be sure that the power strip is connected directly to the wall outlet and do not plug additional power strips or extension cords into the main power strip.

2. Combustible Kitchen Items. This Old House reports that 41% of house fires start in the kitchen.¹You can reduce the danger by keeping combustible items at least 3 feet from the stove.²Recipe cards, pot holders and paper towels are all items that can ignite when close to your stove.

3. Dryer Lint. Even if you clean your lint trap after every dryer use, lint still collects in the dryer cabinet and can cause a fire.³Hire a professional to clean your dryer and exhaust duct.

4. Barbecue charcoal: According to Renters Insurance.com, damp charcoal can ignite, even without a flame to initiate it. Place your charcoal in a metal container with a tight fitting lid for safety.⁴

5. Curled or squashed Electrical Cords: Rachel Smith with ninemsn Homes reports that curling or squashing electrical cords can cause a fire.

6. Exposed Light Bulbs. Since light bulbs create heat, combustible items near an exposed light bulb could ignite and cause a fire. Place protective globes around all exposed light bulbs.⁵

¹ http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20567755_21119328,00.html
² http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20567755_21119328,00.html
³ http://www.asgsecurity.com/asg-security-blog/fire-risks-at-home-3-little-known-culprits.html
⁴ http://www.rentersinsurance.com/2012/02/top-10-unexpected-fire-hazards-in-the-home/
⁵ http://www.mybiginsurance.com/homeowners-insurance/hidden-fire-hazards-that-can-cause-serious-damage/

The Consumer Insurance Blog has released an article dealing with the little-known fire hazard of 9-volt batteries.

The article points out that these batteries, found in so many household items and toys, can be dangerous if they are not taken care of properly.

Dave (of Kids and Character), a victim featured in the article and accompanying video, had his home totally destroyed by a fire started by a 9-volt battery. He shares from his own personal experience in an effort to get the word out about safety.

On April 21, 2011, the 9-volt battery from inside Dave’s smoke detector caused a fire that would destroy Dave’s home.

After removing the old battery from his smoke detector, Dave wanted to recycle it. But he didn’t know there are certain things you must to do to make sure the battery is safe and does not present a fire hazard.

There is a common element (or flaw) to every 9-volt battery: the terminals are close together. And creating a short across those terminals is very easy to do. 

Dave stored the old 9-volt batteries in a sack in his garage. A couple of weeks later, however, the bag was bumped causing 2 of the old batteries to short out together. This started a fire which destroyed Dave’s home.

If you have batteries lying around together in drawers and other places, you have a potential fire emergency on your hands. When the terminals short out together, they first become very warm and then they burst into flames.

To make the batteries safe for storing, simply place a piece of electrical tape over the terminals. This will keep them from shorting out and causing a fire.

Click here to watch the whole video.

It is a good idea to take some time as soon as possible to look around in your home for incorrectly stored 9-volt batteries. Whether they are new or old does not matter. Just be sure they are stored properly.

At Best Security Products, we can help you with all commercial and home fire security and safety needs. Give us a call at 1-800–988–2378 sales@bestsecurityproducts.com

Source: http://www.insureinfoblog.com/2015/01/the-little-known-fire-hazard-of-9-volt-batteries/