Part of the responsibility of being a homeowner involves practicing fire safety to protect your home.  Fires are among the most dangerous and destructive disasters that can happen in a home; most of the time, they are preventable.  Some homeowners may not realize that most electrical fires start in the bedroom.  Half of all deaths resulting from a house fire happen in the bedroom as well.  This makes it important to focus on your bedroom when it comes to fire safety by taking preventative actions and forming a fire escape plan.

The following tips will help you reduce the risk of a fire in your bedroom:

• Make sure electrical cords are untangled and have space around them for the heat to dissipate. You should never have electrical cords running under the bed or carpet, or pinned between furniture and the wall.
• Use space heaters with caution. You should never leave them running unsupervised or leave them on when sleeping.
• Make sure electrical switches have arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) which turn off the circuit if it becomes overloaded.
• Cover electrical outlets or install tamper resistance receptacles if you have children to prevent them from sticking foreign objects in the outlet.
• Put charging phones, laptops, and other electronic devices on a hard surface, never leave them on your bed or carpet.
• Use electric blankets with caution and turn them off before going to sleep.
• Make sure there is at least 3 feet of space between heat sources like candles, space heaters, and electronics, and combustible items such as curtains and bedding. It is probably best not to use candles in your bedroom.
• Get a mattress that meets the 2007 Federal Mattress Flammability Standard.
• Never smoke in bed. Falling asleep with a lit cigarette is extremely dangerous.
• Install smoke detectors in every room of your house and test them monthly to make sure they are working.
• Form a fire escape plan with your family that includes two possible exits from each room. You should also practice the fire escape plan so your family knows what to do when a fire occurs.

Your bedroom is supposed to be your sanctuary from daily life, not a dangerous fire hazard.  Following these simple fire prevention tips can keep your bedroom safe and reduce your risk of deadly house fires.  If a fire does break out in your home, evacuating safely should be your top priority.  However, once the fire is put out, you must immediately call a fire damage restoration professional.  These professionals have the knowledge and the tools to limit the damage caused by fire, smoke, and soot and salvage as much of your home as possible.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.