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Fire blankets are special safety items meant to deal with small-scale household fires, such as burning pans or out of control fireplaces. Furthermore, such a blanket can be a lifesaver as well, since you can wrap it around yourself to protect yourself from larger flames. Unlike fire extinguishers, applying a fire blanket is uncomplicated and doesn’t leave a mess behind. In fact, even kids and teenagers can easily understand how it works, and can safely use it during an emergency. But most of all, knowing that your house has an easy-to-use protective measure gives peace of mind for the whole family. Still, very few people are aware of the benefits of a fire blanket, and either opt for a fire extinguisher or rely on wet towels. We can assure you that after reading this guide, you won’t be using wet towels ever again.
Fire blankets are made out of a special kind of glass fiber fabric with a thin layer of fire resistant coating added to it. The main idea behind the concept is that you carefully place the blanket on the source of fire, and the fabric simply creates a completely airtight environment, excluding the oxygen, and, eventually, extinguishing the fire.
However, it’s important to take into consideration the size of the fire, as the blanket must completely cover it in order to be effective. Although it’s most commonly associated with putting out kitchen fires, these special blankets are capable of stopping any kind of fire up to a maximum of 3,000 degrees. And one thing is sure: the advanced fabric beats the traditional method of throwing a wet towel or rag on the heat source, since fire blankets effectively kill off the fire without the dangers of getting the material ignited, causing an even bigger fire.
In case you are determined to protect your kitchen with a fire blanket, let us show you three promising products that are worthy of your consideration.
Fire blankets come tightly packed in their bags, so to obtain yours you need to pull down the two hanging tabs. Once the blanket is out, it is of utmost importance not to throw it on the flames, but instead carefully lay it down. Make sure to protect your hands from the extreme heat by either covering it with the corners of the fire blanket or by wearing fire resistant gloves. Gently cover the fire, starting from the parts closer to you, and then move to the far side. Make sure there are no holes or bulging parts where the oxygen could slip in, and don’t forget to turn off the heat source to hasten the smothering process.
Once finished, leave the blanket where it is for about 15–30 minutes, since removing the blanket earlier may lead to re-ignition of the fire. In case you see smoke coming up from the blanket, stay calm and do not even consider moving it: it is completely natural, and not a sign of the fabric being on fire. And don’t forget to call the fire department or seek medical assistance, just to be sure.
Despite its genuine merits and ease of use, fire blankets are only able to battle certain types of fiery scenarios. In case the emergency is bigger than a span on fire or the flames have quickly spread across the kitchen, make sure to use a fire extinguisher instead of a blanket, even though the two items go hand-in-hand together. Moreover, the fire blanket and the extinguisher share the trait that you need to replace them after use. Operating a fire extinguisher isn’t that difficult, but, unlike in the case of a fire blanket, you must carefully inspect the instructions before using it to put out fires.
Unfortunately, fire isn’t the only environmental hazard that threatens your home: there is carbon monoxide poisoning, flooding, freezing, overheating cables, and the list goes on. The best course of action to cover all these dangers is to install a wide variety of sensors. Environmental detectors, which are usually offered by home security systems alongside security alarms, are such devices, as they are designed to warn you of every hazard.
If you’ve decided to secure your home from burglars, make sure to include some sensors as well against fire, CO leaking or blizzards. The reason behind this choice is that the emergency signal will be forwarded to a monitoring team, who can dispatch the firefighters or paramedics while you are battling the flames.
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