Do you realize that the fire department is called to a fire every 20 seconds? That means that your fire department can be really busy and if you have a lot of fires at once, someone's home isn't going to be saved. If you happen to live in an older home and you are paranoid about a fire, you can do some of these things to ease your mind. You can keep an escape kit with a bucket of water, towels, a whistle, and a flashlight handy. If you really want to, you can put a roll of duct tape, which you would use to put around your door to give you a little more time to get out, and a window escape ladder.
As most fires start at night, you might want to keep all doors closed at night as this will help contain the fire so you have a little more time to get out. If you live in an older home, you might want to unplug all of the things that you don't have to keep running. You might want to install fire and smoke detectors and also a fire extinguisher. Most fires are a result of paper and wood, combustible fuels like grease and oil, and faulty electrical wiring, it is important to get an ABC extinguisher. The most common fire in the home is oil left in a fry pan to overheat. So the best place to have the fire extinguisher is in the kitchen. If the fire becomes too bad, leave the home and call your fire department.
Always have a plan to get out of the home and a pre-arranged place to meet once you are out of the home and make sure that everyone knows the spot. If you have small children in the home, you might want to make this a kind of game that you can teach your child that they will learn to play often because children will learn something faster if they think it's a game. If you have a fireplace in your home just have it cleaned once a year, maybe install a fire grate and screen, keep clothes away from it and install a spark arrester that will stop a fire from your chimney.
If you have other items of value besides yourself, you might want to put in a fire proof safe or not keep these items in your home because most of these things can never be replaced.
