How to keep your home safe from fire 15^th May 2020

You always try to do a lot for the happiness and wellbeing of your family. A house does not become a home without family members. Taking care of the house and the family members is a prior concern, and there are a lot of measures that can be taken to ensure the safeguarding of precious assets and the house as well.

There are some necessary measures that a normal person takes to safeguard his/her house from unwanted calamities. But an uncontrollable fire that is caused by some internal reasons like any electrical faults due to poor wiring or due to cooking gas leakage is not much predictable. Similarly, some external factors like spreading of fire from outside (mainly locality), or fire caused by lightning can’t be controlled and are also unpredictable.

To ensure the backup against any such accidents, you must opt for a relevant insurance cover from a fire Insurance Company. Different fire insurance companies offer policies to cover several types of losses caused by accidents related to fire.

Role of fire insurance companies and the coverage they provide

A fire insurance company provides fire insurance that is a kind of property insurance that covers damages and losses caused by fire. This fire insurance helps the homeowner cover the cost of replacement, repair, or reconstruction. This insurance provides coverage against loss or damage to any structure damaged by fire. It is important to note that the insurance company’s liability is limited by the policy value and not by the extent of damage sustained by the property owner.

Most policies provide coverage even though the fire originated from inside or outside the house. The policy will reimburse the policy owner on either a replacement cost basis or an actual cost value (ACV) basis for damages. The policy owners must document the property and its contents to simplify the assessment of items lost or damaged during a fire.

Losses not covered by the fire policy

Any loss due to fire caused by earthquakes or by any invasion acts of any foreign enemy, civil strife, war, riots, military rising or rebellion, or nuclear risks. The fire must be accidental and not intentional.

Other preventive measures to avoid house fires.

The inspection of the heating sources in the house, especially in the kitchen, must be done correctly. The gas stoves and the gas source or supply pipe must be turned off safely after every use.

In case of low or high voltage supply in the house, high power-consuming devices such as washing machines, water geysers, air conditioners, and irons must be switched off immediately as any electrical fault may lead to unwanted spark and eventually a fire. Maintenance of electrical devices must be done regularly, and any old bulky power-consuming device must be taken care of.

Storing flammable products safely is another critical point. Cosmetic products like shaving creams or gels, perfumes, deodorants must be stored properly so that they don’t become potential fire spreading agents.

Making candlelight dinner at home brings a beautiful feeling, but, care must be taken that the candles are adequately fixed over a strong base, and they don’t cause any unwanted accidents. Also, in situations of load-shedding, the use of candles must be done correctly and with the utmost care. Installing fire extinguishers at home is a good practice; it will surely be helpful to suppress any small fires which may become huge if not controlled.