Garage Safety Tips to Prevent Fire Hazards

12/12/2022 (Permalink)

Combustible fuels should be stored in a detached shed and not in your garage.

Six Garage Safety Tips To Prevent a Fire 

Fires in the Hudson, WI home are a serious threat to your safety, as well as that of your loved ones. And while fire is something that can happen anywhere and at any time, it's important to be aware of how you can prevent fires from occurring in your garage. Following these simple tips will help ensure that you're doing everything possible to protect yourself and your family from dangerous conditions and potential hazards.

What causes unsafe conditions in the garage?

In fact, the leading cause of home fires is careless smoking. Careless smoking and electrical malfunctions are the most common causes of garage fires. The garage is often filled with flammable materials such as oil and gas cans, paint and thinner containers, cleaning supplies, rags, and automotive products. Furthermore, many garages are connected to homes or have attached living spaces that can be easily damaged by fire in the garage.

Fire departments recommend that you keep your garage free from clutter to help prevent a fire from breaking out in your home or in other structure on your property.

What are some practical garage safety tips?

Some easy tips to keep in mind to help prevent fires from breaking out in your garage include:

• Keep the garage door closed.
• Install smoke detectors and test regularly.
• Keep the garage well ventilated.
• Keep a fire extinguisher within reach in the garage.

Keep gasoline and other flammable chemicals in proper storage containers.

Do not store gasoline in a plastic container. Plastic containers could easily melt and cause a fire, especially if the container is hot or has been used to heat up food or drink. Do not store gasoline in cardboard boxes or plastic bags, as they are flammable themselves and may also allow sparks to ignite the gas.

Never store flammable liquids in glass containers, such as wine bottles or light bulbs, as these can easily shatter under pressure and create more fires than you bargained for!

Do not use a gas or charcoal grill in or near your garage.

Gas grills and propane tanks are a fire hazard when used inside garages.If you must have a grill, store it safely outside of your garage.

Charcoal grills are also dangerous to use inside a garage because they produce heat that can ignite flammable materials such as paint thinner and gasoline vapors from nearby fuel sources. It's best to store these items away from any potential ignition sources like heat vents or sunlight

Keep the garage door closed as much as possible.

One of the most important things you can do to make your garage safer is to keep it closed at all times except when entering or leaving. This will not only prevent fires and other hazards, but also help reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.

The garage door is among one of the largest sources of heat loss in your home! In fact, according to Energy Star, opening and closing your garage door accounts for up to 10% of total annual energy use by an average household!

Install smoke detectors and test regularly.

The best way to protect your family and belongings is by installing a smoke detector. Smoke detectors are inexpensive, easy to install and can help save lives.

Make sure the devices are working properly by testing them regularly, or at least every six months. Replace batteries every six months; this should be written on the device itself or in the user manual. When purchasing new detectors, make sure they meet current safety standards and are designed for use in a garage environment

When using a car battery charger, make sure the area is well ventilated.

While you may think your garage is the safest place to charge your car battery, it’s not. In fact, making sure that the area is properly ventilated when using a car battery charger can help you prevent any potential fire hazards.

Install a fire extinguisher in the garage.

A fire extinguisher is a device that can be used to put out small fires. The purpose of a fire extinguisher is to stop the spread of flames and smother the fire with chemicals or water. Fire extinguishers are designed to be easily portable, so they can be used by someone other than a firefighter without much training.

There are a few types of fire extinguishers. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages and it is important to keep that in mind when purchasing a fire extinguisher for your home or garage.

Call Fire Cleanup Professionals After the Fire.

The next, and perhaps most important thing you can do is to call a fire cleanup professional if your home or business suffers from damage due to a fire. SERVPRO of The Saint Croix Valley offers a 24-hour emergency response system that provides immediate action and support by sending highly trained technicians with the right equipment to help mitigate further damage and start the cleaning process immediately.