Fire Triangle

Today’s Safety Moment is all about fire.

Although much less prevalent than a decade or two ago, it seems that fire is always in the news. There is usually at least one local story a month about a residential fire that cleans folks, and most of their personal belongings, out of their dwelling

I recall eating a meal out in Boise, Idaho on August 26th, 2008, while getting the play by play in the media of an upscale subdivision getting the brunt of a windswept wildfire that torched its way through a grassy field, wiping out several homes and killing a woman that didn’t get out in time. Sadly, that isn’t the first time this has happened in our region.

My hometown of Berkeley, California had a wildfire in October of ’91 that cleaned off a few hillsides in an affluent part of the bay area. Los Angeles is always having canyons wiped out.

In Idaho, they keep track of fire causes, and the results might surprise you. Much of the state of Idaho is likely on fire now and our skies have been smoky for weeks. Fortunately, we are learning slowly how to protect our homes better by being fire wise, adding smoke detectors, and coaching folks how to create barriers around buildings. In one recent arson case, to my amazement, only one home was lost in a fairly populated rural wooded area.

Smokey the Bear

At Levco, we are all about fire safety, through following the building codes and using common sense we are constantly being vigilant about the hazards of fire that rear their ugly faces during a construction project.

We are:

• Keeping sharp tools.
• Having our electrician eliminate hot circuits.
• Protecting combustible surfaces when sparks fly.
• Turning lights off when not needed.
• Ensuring smoke detectors are functioning properly.
• Prohibiting the use of unnecessary torches.
• Having quick water or fire extinguishers available when torches are necessary.
• Avoiding the spontaneous combustion risks by never putting rags used for thinners or solvents in piles. (This just took out a garage of a friend) A better idea is to use a pail of water to store those rags.
• Building in a protected area around at risk homes.
• Using or substituting non-combustible building materials when appropriate.

The effects of fire are tremendous and devastating, so join us as we strive to keep our firefighters in their stations where they belong.

Your comments are welcome. To ask questions or get more information about remodeling, email me directly or visit our contact page.

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