NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF/CONSUMER REPORTS) — The number of house fires reported in the United States has dropped by about half since 1980. So what's changed?
More homes have smoke alarms and building codes have gotten better. But still, we are entering fire season as the temperatures start to drop.
While the number of fires is going down, when they do happen, they tend to be deadlier. In fact, the number of deaths from fires has been going up now for about a dozen years.
House fires today burn faster, hotter and are deadlier than ever. But why?
One main reason: time.
"Forty years ago, you would have had 17 minutes to get out of a house on fire. Today? Just 3 minutes," said John Galeotafiore with Consumer Reports.
So what’s changed? In part, those popular open-plan houses. With fewer walls and doors, fires travel faster and more freely.
Another culprit? Today’s furniture.
"A lot of homes today have furnishings made with synthetic materials, like plastic or particleboard, which burn much quicker than say solid wood," Galeotafiore said.
Some classic advice still holds true today — have at least one smoke detector and one class “ABC” fire extinguisher per floor of your home, and check them monthly.
Consumer Reports recommends dual-sensor alarms from First Alert and Kidde — both got perfect scores for detecting both flaming and smoldering fires.
If you need to use your extinguisher, use the PASS method. Pull the pin; Aim the nozzle toward the base of the fire; Squeeze the trigger; Sweep from side to side.
Other helpful tips: don’t leave lithium-ion batteries, like the ones for your power tools, charging overnight. Be sure to only use the charger that came with it.
If you have an outlet that doesn’t grip the plug, it’s time to change it. Replace your worn-out outlets with arc-fault circuit interrupters also known as AFCI outlets.
Have an escape plan in place and rehearse it with everyone in your household.
Lastly, keep your bedroom door closed at night. If a fire starts while you're sleeping, that door can help keep the flames from spreading.
