Summer Fire Safety

6/13/2019 (Permalink)

Sparklers account for about a fourth of emergency room firework injuries.

Each year, families and friends across the country enjoy the summer months with barbecues, camping trips, or by cooling off in a pool or lake. To enjoy these occasions, it is important to keep safety top of mind to ensure you have fun in the sun.

Avoiding Injury and Home Damage

According to a recent study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, nearly 11,900 Americans were injured by fireworks in 2015, with the majority happening in the month surrounding the Fourth of July. Another 8,700 are injured by charcoal/wood-burning and propane grill fires. A grill should always be supervised when in use. Keep children and pets a safe distance from the grilling area to prevent accidental burns or tipping of the grill.

Grills also cause an average of 8,900 home structure or outdoor fires. “These fires caused an annual average of 50 civilian injuries and $2 million in direct property damage,” according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

The summer season should be a time to make memories and enjoy the great outdoors. Don’t become a statistic. Take precautions to prevent these events from putting a damper on your summer months!

Staying Safe from Fire

Summer is a time to enjoy the great outdoors, but it is also important to keep safety in mind. Consider the following tips, provided by the National Fire Protection Association, to keep you and your family safe all summer long.

• When using a charcoal grill, only use starter fluids designed for barbecue grills; do not add fluid after coals have been lit.
• When using a gas grill, ensure the hose connection is tight; check hoses for leaks. Applying soapy water to the hoses will easily and safely reveal any leaks.
• When camping, always use a flame-retardant tent and set up camp far away from the campfire.
  • Always build a campfire downwind from the tent area. Clear vegetation and dig a pit before building your fire. Extinguish the fire before going to sleep or leaving the campsite.
• Store liquid fire starter (not gasoline) away from your tent and campfire and only use dry kindling to freshen a campfire.

Firework Safety

It’s firework season! According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an average of 18,500 fires are started every year by fireworks. This includes 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires, and 16,900 outside and other fires. “These fires caused an average of three deaths, 40 civilian injuries, and an average of $43 million in direct property damage,” says the NFPA.

Do you think sparklers are the safe way to go? Nope: they account for about a fourth of emergency room fireworks injuries.

Stay safe this summer by paying close attention to children at fireworks events, and avoiding the use of consumer fireworks.

Be sure to be safe with fire this summer, and to use caution. If fire does damage your home or business this summer, give us a call at 360-243-8313. SERVPRO of North Everett/Lake Stevens/Monroe will make it "Like it never even happened."