The idea of a house fire happening to us seems rare, but it is a common, unforeseen and an extreme event that happens more often than you think. Being a homeowner is a great privilege, but it comes with more responsibility than hosting dinner parties. You call your house your home, it is your shelter. Erie Mutual Insurance will provide protection for your home and your personal property. Fires are a common household accident and we will be here for you if a fire damages your home.
We understand that your home is where you spend most of your time building memories with the family, and is most likely your largest financial investment. Experiencing any loss or damage to your home can be emotionally and financially stressful, we help you recover from this loss.
DID YOU KNOW? Home fires are more common on Saturday and Sunday and tend to peak between 6:00 and 7:00 PM. Home fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home. The second leading cause of home fires is heating sources like wood stoves and fireplaces. Fires caused by smoking are the leading cause of deaths. Home fires can happen at any time, but they generally increase during the fall and winter, with December and January being the peak months.
In order to be proactive, here are a few fire safety tips every family and homeowner should follow to protect themselves and their home:
Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas
Test smoke alarms every month and if they are not working, change the batteries or replace with new when necessary
If a fire occurs, GET OUT and call for help, never go back inside for possessions
Never smoke inside!
Following these tips will help you prevent a fire loss in your home, but if a fire occurs, it is always important to have a detailed fire escape plan. Escaping your home swiftly and safely will be the key to keeping your family safe. When creating your plan, think of everyone! Teach your children what an alarm sounds like (even if when cooking dinner), so they become familiar with the sound. If there are young children or elderly in the home, assign someone to help them (and a backup) in case the assigned person is away from home at the time of the fire. We know it is not fun to create a fire escape plan, but do what you can to get the kids involved. Draw a map of the home and have the kids mark two exit routes and where everyone will meet once outside the home.
Overall, check your fire alarms regularly, make sure your house number is visible, keep your fire hydrants clear from cars and snow (during the winter), respond to fire alarms quickly, have a backup plan, share with everyone in the home, and practice regularly. Fire drills are for more than just schools!
For more tips on fire safety, including selecting the right fire extinguisher for your home and how to use it properly please visit us at Erie Mutual Loss Prevention & Risk Managent today!
Erie Mutual Insurance proudly serves the commercial insurance, farm insurance, home insurance and auto insurance needs of members throughout Southern Ontario including Haldimand, Niagara and Hamilton.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about this or any other topic related to your insurance.
