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“There are things that you can do to make sure your home is as safe as possible,” says Jim McDonough, a fire prevention and suppression engineer at the University of Maryland.
“Fire extinguishers, sprinklers, sprinkler systems.”
Here are some simple rules to keep in mind when it comes to extinguishing a fire.
If your home isn’t in an enclosed space, like an attic, bathroom, or basement, use a “fireproofing material” to protect the exterior from the heat.
“If you have a fire inside your home, there are ways to reduce your risk of fire spread,” says McDonuff.
“So, for example, you can put a fireproofing mat on the roof or on the wall next to the fireplace.
Or, if you have an attic fire, put a sprinkler system in the attic and keep sprinkler sprinkler lines out of the attic.”
“So if you’re in an attic or a crawl space, you have fire protection.
You don’t have to be a fire expert.”
But if your home doesn’t have a sprinklers system, there’s a good chance you’ll need to add a fire extinguishing system, too.
“For the purposes of this guide, fire extinguishers are a safety net,” McDonought says.
“You should never use them for anything that you know is going to spread the fire.
The best way to do this is to do a quick check on your fire suppression system and make sure it’s not on the house.”
“You may need to buy a fire-resistant material to protect your home.”
Firefighting materials are made from materials like wood or foam, which are resistant to fire and can be sprayed on your home.
But there are also many options, such as the “fire proofing” option from McDonow, which consists of a foam-based substance that can be applied to the exterior of your home or the “flammable” option, which is made from a plastic or metal material.
“When you buy the fireproofer, you should buy the “flammable” version, because it can catch the fire in the event of an explosion,” says McDonell.
If you’re planning to buy an extinguishing mat for your home to use as a fire barrier, it’s important to use a fire resistant material that can withstand the heat and chemicals of a fire, says Mcdonough.
You should also keep an eye out for “safety goggles” that can help you identify if you may need an extinguisher.
“The best way for people to protect themselves is to wear a fire safety vest,” Mcdonought says, “or to go into the fire service.”
If you have to get out of a burning building, there may be other things you can try to do, like making a ladder out of duct tape and covering it with a fire retardant, he adds.
“Some people think you should put a ladder up, but I don’t think it’s that important,” McDONOUGH says.
There are other things that can also help to protect a home when a fire breaks out.
For example, the sprinkler can be turned off, McDONOW says, if your sprinkler line is blocked.
You can also use a self-closing lid, which can be placed on the outside of your house and will prevent your home from being engulfed by flames.
“To prevent damage to your house from fire, you need to put fire barriers in your house,” Mc DONOUGH says, noting that the “safety net” can be a “great deterrent.”
“If your home does have sprinklers and sprinkler protection, then you can make a ladder that goes over the sprinklers,” McDONELL says.
