Safety is at the helm of everything you do in your home, especially when you have less mobile toddlers or seniors living with you. In the event of a fire emergency breaking out because of faulty electrical systems, jagged wires and burnt outlets, you can save lives by undertaking these quick actions to extinguish an electrical fire in your home. Call an emergency electrician immediately once the fire is extinguished to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Turn Off The Main Electrical Supply Switch To Cut Off Power To Your Home
Your first action should be to immediately turn off the main electricity supply switch to your home because this will prevent the fire from igniting in other areas. If possible, call your local fire department as soon as you turn off the electricity, so that they can reach your home as quickly as possible. Do this even if you think you can douse the fire on your own because you simply won't know until you try.
Sprinkle Baking Soda Over The Fire Before It Spreads
If the fire is contained before it spreads further, you can successfully extinguish it using baking soda. Baking soda is made from sodium bicarbonate, which is the same constituent used in a normal fire extinguisher. When baking soda is thrown over a small fire, it produces water to cool and smother it. Keep in mind that this action only works on smaller and more controllable fires.
Reach Out For Your Fire Extinguisher
If you have a fire extinguisher at home, reach out for it as soon as possible to put out the fire originating around the outlets, circuit breakers or wiring. Hold the extinguisher in an upright position and pull the pin located at the top. Aim the fire extinguisher at the source of the fire and spray the area with the fire extinguisher contents. Be careful to maintain some distance, so you don't end up harming yourself in the process.
Use A Fire Blanket To Completely Smother The Fire
If you have a fire blanket at home, throw it over the fire to smother it. A fire blanket is made from woven, flexible fibreglass for effectively putting out fires. The fire blanket will block oxygen from reaching the fire. Without enough oxygen, the fire will reduce and eventually go out. You can then call an emergency electrician to assess and repair the situation. Keep in mind that you should never use water directly on an electrical fire because water is a good conductor of electricity, so you might end up being badly shocked.
Follow these quick actions in your quest to save the lives of everyone in your home in the event of an electrical fire. Once you've got the fire under control, call an emergency electrician to repair the problem and restore your electricity.
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