Fire crews warn of furnace fires after close call
You should check your furnace on a monthly basis. Dryer vents should also be cleaned.
Read MoreAfter forty years in the industry, Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. have come to know many families and individuals affected by fires. It's their stories that inspired us to create 3MinutesMatter.com, a website dedicated to promoting fire safety and prevention.
A fire can tear through a home, mercilessly terminating property and life without warning. Anyone caught in a fire has as little as three minutes to escape certain, irreversible tragedies. Such a short amount of time means preparedness is imperative for survival. The timeline below illustrates the speed and ferocity of fires, and how quickly things can change.
Fire ignition has occurred. Every 74 seconds, a house burns in the U.S. Within one minute of the fire, the smoke alarm sounds. You awaken. You don’t smell smoke but you get up to check.
It takes almost 30 seconds to reach the stairs and start down. As you descend, you start to smell smoke. You see smoke billowing out of the living room. In the living room, the curtains are in flames. You start back up the stairs yelling to warn your family.
Fire is growing. By the time you reach the top of the stairs, you are blinded by smoke. Fire is not bright. It is hidden by thick, black smoke.
Building materials and furnishings give off poisonous gases as they burn. Most people who die in fires don’t die from burns. Smoke and toxic fumes are almost always the killer. In the blackness, you collide with your spouse to save the children.
Temperatures in the home continue to rise. The fire conditions in the home make it nearly impossible to continue.
Everyone should be out of the house by this time. More than 4,000 Americans die in fires every year.
During the chaos, the neighbors may have called the fire department. Firefighters are scrambling to the emergency. The fire truck is rolling to your home. Upon arrival at your home, the firefighters are evaluating the fire, searching for a water source and preparing to enter your home. The national average response time is 6 minutes from receiving the call.
The sequence of events described above changes dramatically when a home is equipped with residential fire sprinklers. Fire sprinklers typically activate within the first couple of minutes, dousing the flames before they grow too large. This video presents three distinct perspectives on fires and fire sprinklers. Please watch.
You should check your furnace on a monthly basis. Dryer vents should also be cleaned.
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