According to the US Fire Administration (USFA), there were 1,240,000 fires in the United States in 2013. While deaths were down 21% and injuries down 6.6% from 2004, these can be prevented with the right equipment and some common sense. Smoke detectors should be installed on every level of the home and near bedrooms. Test batteries twice a year; an easy way to remember is to test them whenever you set clocks forward or back. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and garage. If you’re in a building when a fire alarm sounds, don’t stop to grab anything or even to call 911.

There are four important things to know about fires, according to the USFA.

Fire is FAST!

A small fire can get out of control in as little as 30 seconds. In just minutes, your entire home can be engulfed in flames and thick black smoke. That’s why the top priority in a fire is always to get out. Don’t stop to grab valuables or even your phone. Leave the building immediately and call the fire department from a nearby home or business.

Fire is DARK!

Even though the flames themselves are bright, fire produces black smoke that blocks out light. It’s easy to become disoriented – it’s dark, you’re terrified – and lose your way, even in a home you’ve lived in for years.

Fire is HOT!

Fire deaths happen without exposure to flames or smoke. Room temperatures easily reach 100 degrees at floor level and more than 600 degrees at eye level. Breathing that super-hot air will scorch your lungs and melt clothing, which is why experts advise staying low to the ground during a fire. In as little as five minutes, the temperature in a room can become so hot that everything ignites at once. This is known as a flashover.

Fire is DEADLY!

Fire needs oxygen and quickly burns up all that’s available in a room, leaving toxic gases behind. Breathing even small amounts of these gases cause disorientation and drowsiness, making escape from the fire more difficult or even impossible. More people die from smoke and toxic gases than flames.

If your home or business in Albuquerque or Bernalillo, NM has fire damage, call the professionals at RestorationMaster. We’ll stop the damage from spreading and clean and repair it using the most effective cleaning products and equipment in the industry. We can restore a wide variety of household surfaces and belongings that you thought might be gone forever.

Restoration costs vary, depending on the extent of the damage. According to HomeAdvisor.com, the national average for fire and smoke damage restoration was $4,983.00.