Look at all that black smoke!

On August 7, a small, "seemingly insignificant leak" was found at one of the country’s biggest oil refineries located near San Francisco. Though required by California law to “immediately” notify the public of any gas leak, fire or oil spill, Chevron did not consider the leak to be an immediate danger to residents nearby.

“At that point in time, there really wasn’t anything we could advise the
community to do,” said Mark Ayers, the refinery’s fire chief.

Yet some two hours later, that small leak became an intense fire that sent acrid black smoke into the sky and more than 1000 people went to hospitals with health complaints of eye irritation and breathing problems. All but a handful of patients were quickly treated and released, hospital officials said.

A county wide Level 3 Hazardous Material "Immediate-Extreme-Health-Hazard" alert was issued advising local residents to,

"shelter in place, go inside, close all windows and doors, turn off all
heaters, air conditioners and fans. If not using the fireplace, close fireplace dampers and vents, and cover cracks around doors and windows with tape or damped towels." [fireplaces? in California summer?]

That's a pretty rare alert. Consider this,

While Bay Area air quality officials excluded potentially toxic pollutants, their analysis did not say exactly what was in the smoke that boiled out of the refinery's No. 4 Crude Unit, only that the air around the refinery was unlikely to cause any long-term health effects.

Chevron admitted that the fire caused the refinery to emit large clouds of sulfuric acid, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrogen oxide. "We apologize for the fire and smoke caused by yesterday's incident," the company said in a statement.

Extreme Weather Preparation

Here's some extreme weather advice from USA.gov.

Summertime can bring a range of weather challenges and potential dangers. Some of these threats can occur with little warning, so do what you can to prepare by assembling an emergency kit and forming a plan of action. Find out what you should do if faced with the following weather dangers:

Lightning: In the U.S., lightning kills more people each year than tornadoes and hurricanes. If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance and should seek shelter in an enclosed building or vehicle. While indoors, don't use a corded phone, a computer or other electrical appliances; and avoid contact with plumbing (don't shower, wash hands, do laundry, etc.). Learn more about lightning safety and get tips on what to do if you're outdoors during a thunderstorm.

Floods: If you have time, move essential items to an upper floor. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water. Do not walk through moving water that is six inches or higher. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a flood.

Hurricanes: If you can't evacuate, get inside and secure external and internal doors. Stay away from windows and doors and take refuge in a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a hurricane.

Tornadoes: Storm cellars and basements are the safest locations, but if they aren't available, go to an interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level. Stay away from windows, doors, outside walls, and corners. If you are in a trailer or mobile home, go to a sturdy, nearby building. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a tornado.

Extreme Heat: Stay indoors as much as possible. Consider spending the hottest part of the day in an air-conditioned public building, such as a library or shopping mall. Never leave children or pets alone in vehicles. Learn more about what to do in extreme heat.

Wildfires: If your home is threatened by a wildfire, you must evacuate. If you have time, bring an emergency kit that includes copies of important documents. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a wildfire.

Earthquakes: If you are indoors, stay away from windows, doors, and outside walls and get under a sturdy table or desk. If you are outside, keep away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires. If you're in a moving vehicle, safely stop the vehicle in an open area and stay inside. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after an earthquake.

Lessons From The Colorado Wildfires

SurvivalBlog.com has printed several stories from people affected by the Colorado forrest fires last month. For example, here's a great personal account that I'll summarize, http://www.survivalblog.com/2012/06/letter-re-lessons-from-the-colorado-wildfires.html

My house is (was?) within about five miles of the starting point of the fire.  ... I got my pile of "definitely going with me" stuff by the garage door on Saturday night.  ...  

Lesson #1 - partly organized isn't ready for full-scale, fast evac. To do that, I'd have needed duplicate things already packed and ready to go. For example, duplicate toiletries so you have the set you use and the set that's ready to go. ...

 

I was away from home last evening as the fire raged on. On my way home, ...  It was a traffic fiasco.  ... the police blockades and gawkers stopped by the side of the road made it much more difficult than anticipated.  ...

Lesson #2: During a large scale evacuation, expect traffic to be a mess no matter which direction you're [going].  ...

Lesson #3: Since some things can't easily (or affordably) be duplicated, make sure they can be evacuated quickly.  [like computers]

 

...

Now I had to figure out one of my biggest challenges - surprisingly so: How to move both packed cars with cats and dog and the most valuable things in my life in them!  ...

 

Lesson #4: Having one person and two cars and no backup doesn't work all that well in evac mode. ...

Lesson #5: The process of evacuation is a process of "letting go". Specifically saying, "I can live without that." Knowing in a very black and white way, that you may literally NEVER SEE IT AGAIN.   

... as I drove to the retreat, I heard the mandatory evacuation notice for my area on the radio. I still had to hope the police would let me back in to get the other car.

Lesson #6: The media is both good and bad in this situation. The bad: mostly, they repeat the same information over and over - obtained from the press briefings at 8 am and 4 pm. Not very helpful. 

Lesson #[7]: The last lesson came when I started getting ready for bed and this morning. I hadn't brought everything I really wanted! For example, I forgot to get my razor from the shower into my toiletries bag. And a pair of shorts for sleeping in. Oh, and I snagged a fingernail in moving stuff and didn't bring my fingernail clippers. I know, all small stuff, but it's a bummer to not have it when putting aside extras would have been so easy.

And now I get wait and wonder if I'll ever move back into my house. And even the television news can't tell me that...

Daylight Savings Time this Weekend!

This weekend, Saturday night/Sunday morning at 2 am is Daylight Savings Time when we "Spring forward" and set the clocks ahead by one hour. Daylight Savings Time is also a great time to replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and refresh the contents of Go-Kits.

Bottom Line

My wife & I were checking out our smoke alarms last weekend. A cake had spilled in the oven, onto the heating elements, and the kitchen became slightly smoky. But no alarm sounded. So we put in a new battery and tested the alarm - no sound. We tested the battery - it was still good.  We tried the battery in another smoke alarm - no sound. At this point we were quite puzzled. What was going on? Then my wife figured it out - just pressing the test button was not enough, we had to press and hold the test button to trigger the alarm. Ah! Mystery solved.

Money to Burn? - Literally

"Gotta use your brain, it's the most important part of your equipment."
~Kevin Andrews and Warren Miller, Extreme Skiing

Here's an odd story about keeping warm. A 66-year-old man was snowshoeing on Mt. Rainier in Washington state when he slipped down a slope and became separated from his group. During the two freezing days it took to find him and rescue him, he kept warm by running in palace and burning things. He had a package of fire starters for he began by burning all the leaves he could find. When those ran out he burned his socks. Then he started burning his cash. Just the small bills, $1s and $5s - nothing crazy like $20s. It worked and he's fine now.

Bottom Line

The story reports that Mr Kim has been "snowshoeing for a decade, was well equipped for a day trip but didn't have overnight gear."  When hiking or snowshoeing in wilderness, always pack overnight gear. You never know when an accident or weather will trap you outside.

Kitchen Fires

“Fire is never a gentle master”
-Proverb

One of the most common causes of home fires is cooking in the kitchen. Perhaps you forget something on the stove or overheat grease/oil which alights in flame. Grease fires are extremely dangerous because the grease is easily splashed, burns very hot and can quickly spread to cabinets or other areas of the kitchen.

Here's some tips on dealing with stove top fires from SurvivalBlog.com.

• NEVER throw flour on a fire. Flour dust is combustible and the flour "cloud" you create can "flash".
• Sugar is also flammable - don't toss onto a flame. 
• NEVER pour or throw water onto flaming oil (600 to 800 F). The water will "explode" into steam (212 F) and spray the flaming oil.
• USE baking soda [not baking powder] or salt in quantity to smother a flame.
• Most professional chefs keep a pan lid or wet towel near the stove to cover a pan fire. But beware, if the flames are tall you may burn your arms and hands trying to put the lid on the pan.
• NEVER move a flaming pan away from the stove. The contents could splash out or flare over your hand causing you to drop it.
• NEVER pour flaming oil down the sink. It will damage most modern plumbing.
• NEVER use a turkey fryer indoors

Bottom Line

Know how to put a small fire. But also know when to run.

"Unless the fire is small and you have an extinguishing method on hand CALL FOR HELP FIRST! Evacuate, then fight the fire." - survivalblog

Kitchen fire extinguishers won't last long and won't put out a fire bigger than your stove top. Fire spreads quickly so if you at first you don't succeed, DON'T try again. Get out.

Is Your Smoke Alarm Working?

Smoke Alarm Dead Zone

If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience.
~Robert Fulghum, author of "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten"

Last month two stories caught my eye regarding house fires at Christmas time.

The first took place in Montclair, NJ on Dec 21. A family of five heard fire crackling around 5pm and had 45 seconds to escape before the living room was engulfed in flame. Officials think it was the Christmas tree that ignited. All family members and the family's dog made it out without injury, although the family's jet black cat is missing. The house is a complete loss.

The other story had a sadder ending. A Christmas morning fire in a $1.7 million house in Stamford, CT killed the parents and children of the owner. The children's mother climbed out a window onto scaffolding and then a flat roof. She screamed for her children and told firefighters which bedrooms they were in. The fireman tried twice to enter the third floor of the house but the flames and heat were too intense. The mother's parents were staying for the holiday and also died in the fire. Officials think the cause was old fireplace embers that had been discarded near a first-floor entryway.

Last year, old embers discarded outside also caused a fire in a friend's house. The wife was at home when she heard someone knocking furiously at her door. She was afraid to answer it, thinking it some crazed person, but instead it was a passing driver who saw the house was on fire and wanted to warn anyone inside.

Bottom Line

Make sure you have working Smoke Alarms. Some sites recommend a monthly test and replacing the batteries twice a year when you set the clocks forward and back.

Also be sure to place them properly. Smoke rises so a detector placed low on a wall will alarm much too late. I also learned just last week that there is a space called the "dead zone" that you must avoid placing smoke alarms. The dead zone is everything within 4"-6" of the line where the wall and ceiling meet. (see image above) Air flow is restricted (dead air) along this edge and smoke won't reach the alarm quickly.

Candle light?

"The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who'll get me a book I [haven't] read."
— Abraham Lincoln

During our power outage with the Halloween snowstorm, my wife & I were reminded of Lincoln reading by firelight. (See painting at right). We tried to read by candle light and found that very difficult to do.

We have a collection of pillar candles made by pouring wax into a milk carton with wick. Also a collection of wide candles made inside mason jars. We chose these types for safety since candle use in emergencies is discouraged. You don't want open flame if there's a chance of a gas leak and candles have started many home fires. The American Red Cross, which deals with those house fires, is opposed to candles and does not recommend them for 72-hour kits.

We use wide candles and glass jar candles to reduce the risk of tipping over. We have no large pet or kids so, fingers crossed, we think we're safe. And we take precautions like never burning a candle unattended.

So back to the original point, our candles did not put out much light! There are two problems with wide candles.
1. A depression is created down the center of the candle and the wick is hidden as it sinks into the cavity created.
2. The wick can drown in too much wax in the cavity it makes.

So my wife pulled out some taper candles - these are the tall skinny type - and wow the light was much brighter. To protect against tipping we put the taper candles in tall mason jars. It was not easy but reading was possible with a taper for each of us.

Website WSAC.com offers this advice for getting more use of candles:

• Try multi-wick candles. (We had one dual wick candle but it too suffered the wide candle problems mentioned above. Still they may be good for room lighting.)
• Use Reflection - place candles near mirrors or light colored walls to bounce back more light
• Light colored candles seem to emit brighter light than dark colored ones. (?)
• Cold candles (refrigerated prior to use) burn slower. Take care to ensure that they do not become moist. (I've never tried this)
• Air drafts cause candles to burn more quickly
• WSAC and other sites recommend 1/4" length for the candle wick. Higher wicks cause smoking and flickering.
• Try extinguishing the candle by pushing the wick into the liquid wax. When you restart it you'll burn wax instead of wick alone and the wick will last longer.

Bottom Line

Treat candles with respect. This is fire after all.

Please don't burn down the Dormitory!

I'm an ordinary guy
Burning down the house
-Talking Heads song

When you sent your young son or daughter off to college this year, one of the last thing you'll want to hear is that they burned down the dormitory building. Most college students lack knowledge about fire safety and prevention (and may lack common sense in general). Students may think it's cool to burn candles or incense and it's also cool to get plastered drunk. These don't mix well. In more than 50% of adult fire fatalities, victims were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the fire. Alcohol impairs judgment and hampers evacuation efforts.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) offers these tips:

Cooking is the leading cause of fire injuries on college campuses, closely followed by careless smoking and arson. Students are careless with ashes or fall asleep with a lit cigarette.

Many factors contribute to the problem of dormitory housing fires.

• Improper use of 911 notification systems delays emergency response.
• Student apathy is prevalent. Many are unaware that fire is a risk or threat in the environment.
• Evacuation efforts are hindered since fire alarms are often ignored.
• Building evacuations are delayed due to lack of preparation and preplanning.
• Vandalized and improperly maintained smoke alarms and fire alarm systems inhibit early detection of fires.
• Misuse of cooking appliances (In my college days we evacuated for a fire caused by food forgotten on a stove downstairs.)
• Overloaded electrical circuits and extension cords increase the risk of fires.

Bottom Line Safety Precautions

• Teach your kids how to properly notify the fire department using the 911 system.
• If you can visit the college, inspect your child's room for fire hazards like overloaded electrical outlets.
• Know the location of emergency exit doors and windows.
• Urge your kids to take each alarm seriously and to participate in fire drills.
• Teach safe cooking techniques. Don't encourage cooking in dorm rooms.

If you Rent, get Renters insurance

“I installed a skylight in my apartment... The people who live above me are furious!”
- Stephen Wright

A co-worker recently experienced a fire in the apartment he rents. He did not have renter's insurance and must pay out of his own pocket the expense of a hotel room while looking for a new place to live and out-of-pocket to replace his belongings.

You might be thinking you could afford that if your belongings are few and/or modest. But there is another important component of Renters Insurance that no renter should be without - Liability protection. If a fire starts in your apartment and it looks like your fault (smoking in bed, a candle, a stove fire, etc) the landlord can sue you for damages and the cost to repair the entire building AND other residents can sue you for the damage they incurred from smoke, fire, and water.

Here are two examples I found on the Internet.

1. Insurance company for the apartment complex just had a law firm send a letter addressed to my sister-in-law and niece. It stated they were deemed at fault for the fire by the insurance company's fire investigator. [The bill is ] $180,000.

2. I am aware that i have to pay for the damages of the fire in my apartment that i caused accidentally. Now i get a bill & they're making me responsible for the buildings under me since i am on the 3rd floor. I don't have rentals insurance, so am i responsible for paying their damages as well? ...
[Answer] You are liable for all of the structural damage you caused ... You caused the damage, this is your puppy.

Bottom Line


There is just no excuse for not having renter's insurance, it can cost as little as $10/month!

Apartment fires are very common; most of the events I respond to as a Red Cross volunteer are apartment fires.

See also What to Do after an Apartment Fire http://www.apartmentinsurancerates.com/after-an-apartment-fire.html

Things to do before a house fire

Mae West

"A man can be short and dumpy and getting bald but if he has fire, women will like him."
-Mae West

From the Consumerist.com a house fire victim lists

9 Things We Wished We Did Before Our House Burned Down

1. Subscribe to an online data backup service.They had an external back-up drive but it sat right next their laptop and both burned up. We use Windows Live Mesh which gives 5 GB of storage on the Internet.

2. Keep passports in a safe deposit box
Passports are handy if you need to prove your identity and you've lost your wallet or purse.

3. Take pictures of each room initially and update them as improvements are made (store them offsite - like Flickr)
The photos will come in handy when inventorying what you lost.

4. Take pictures and keep hyperlinks of all expensive purchases, including jewelry. Scan receipts[for expensive purchases] and store offline.
You'll want this for insurance recovery.

5. Hire an architect (my dad in our case) or use floorplanner.com to document each floor layout along with precise wall/ceiling measurements, each outlet, light switch, crown molding, other trim, type of flooring, any unique items to structure of property
Not sure why. So you can rebuild an exact duplicate of your house?

6. Put phones in a consistent place each night
When you need to call 911 you want to know where the phone is!

7. Get fire ladders for any second floor bedrooms
Safety first. And drill yearly. A fire is a bad time to learn the window is painted shut.

8. Scan each photo, again keeping them offsite, or on an online data backup service
We opted NOT to back up music files, those are replaceable. We do back-up all digital photos.
9. Do not be frugal with homeowner's insurance. Spend the extra $50 per year for the most coverage.

Bottom Line

This is good advice and the time to do it is now. You hope never to have a home fire but it is frighteningly common. U.S. fire departments responded to nearly 1.6 million fire calls in 2007 that resulted in thousands of deaths, tens of thousands of injuries, and billions of dollars in property loss.
At 40 percent, cooking is the leading cause of residential structure fires. Heating causes another 14 percent.

Christmas Trees

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. 
~Roy L. Smith

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum
Wie true sind deine Blätter
- German lyrics to O Christmas Tree, your leaves are so reliable.

Welcome to December and Merry Christmas! Locally we have a radio station that plays Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. And I noticed the malls are playing Christmas songs and decorated for the holiday. So perhaps you're ready to buy a Christmas Tree? Here's some advice from http://www.moneytalksnews.com/.

Buying a cut Christmas tree

1. Choose the place you’re putting the tree and take some measurements: Height is obvious, but don’t forget the width of the doors you’ll be going through or the area of the room you’ll be putting your tree in. You’ll want to keep your tree as far away as possible from heat sources like vents, fireplaces, or radiators.
2. The sooner you buy one, the better: Ask the dealer when their trees were cut: the fresher the better. Many people assume that getting a tree early is a bad idea, because it might wither and start shedding needles before New Year’s. While this seems logical, a cut Christmas tree is only going to last so long – it doesn’t care whether it’s sitting in a lot down the street or in your living room. In other words, once it’s cut, it’s cut, so put it in your home as soon as possible. Buying early also means a better selection.
3. Do your own freshness test: There are several things you can do to test the freshness of a Christmas tree: First, grab a branch by the needles and pull it – the needles should stay on. Next, bend a branch and see if it’s supple: Ideally, it should bend without snapping. Finally, pick up the tree and drop it to see how many needles shake loose: the fewer the better.
4. Inspect the base: Ever brought home that perfect tree, only to find that the base isn’t straight and the tree leans to one side? Me too. That’s why now I make sure the last foot of the trunk is totally straight.
5. Look at it again before you bring it inside: Make sure there’s no insects or other unpleasantness hiding in the branches. Pick it up and drop it again.

Making your tree last

Properly cared for, your cut Christmas tree should last well over a month. Here’s what to do …

1. When you buy your tree from the lot, they’ll cut an inch or so off the bottom – get the tree into water as soon as possible.
2. When it comes to making a Christmas tree last, water isn’t the main thing: It’s the only thing. Use a stand that holds as much water as possible, then keep it filled at all times. If the bottom of the trunk is exposed to air, resin will form over it and it will no longer be able to absorb water: game over. Check the water supply every day without fail. To make your life easier, get a funnel, connect it to a short length of tubing that empties into the stand, and then hide it all in the branches when you’re not using it.
3. You don’t need distilled or other specialty water, nor do you need chemical preservatives. Tap water is fine – just make sure the supply is sufficient.
4. Remember that heat is not your friend – if your Christmas lights generate heat, use them sparingly and always turn them off at night. Miniature lights produce less heat than bigger ones.

Bottom Line

Keep your tree well watered and alive. A dry or dead tree is a fire hazard as discussed in my post, Christmas Trees = Fire Trap?  Don't miss the burning tree video at www.fire.gov/newsletter/summer2001/page_two.htm

Turkey Fires

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.  -Edward Sandford Martin

I hope and pray you did not burn down your house this Thanksgiving. It does happen as FEMA warns ...

2,000 Thanksgiving Day fires occur annually in residential buildings in the United States, resulting in an average of five deaths, 25 injuries and $21 million in property. The leading cause of these Thanksgiving Day fires is cooking (typically in the afternoon hours from noon to 4 p.m).  Unfortunately, smoke alarms were not present in 20 percent of Thanksgiving Day fires.

"Disasters can happen any time, any where, but some emergencies at home can be avoided by taking a few simple steps for safety," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.  "And don't forget this holiday season, while gathered around the table with family and friends, is a great time to talk about your family emergency plan, and what you would do in the case of a disaster." 

  

The US Fire Agency suggests these safety cooking tips: 

• Make sure you have smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area, and in every bedroom.  Test smoke alarms monthly and replace them if they are 10 years old or older.
• Keep a close watch on your cooking.  You should never leave cooking food unattended.
• Keep oven food packaging and other combustibles away from burners and heat sources.
• Heat cooking oil slowly and watch it closely; it can ignite quickly.
• Don't wear loose sleeves while working over hot stove burners - they can melt, ignite or catch on handles of pots and pans spilling hot oil and other liquids.
• Have a "kid-free zone" of at least three-feet around the stove and areas where hot foods or drinks are prepared or carried.
• Keep a lid nearby to smother small grease fires.  Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop.  Leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.

Deep-fried turkey has quickly grown in popularity but safety experts are concerned that backyard chefs may be sacrificing fire safety for good taste.  If you absolutely must use a turkey fryer, please use the following tips:

Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other flammable materials.

• Never use turkey fryers in a garage or on a wooden deck.
• Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
• Never leave the fryer unattended.  Most units do not have thermostat controls.  If you do not watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
• Never let children or pets near the fryer even if it is not in use.  The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot hours after use.
• To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.
• Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles.  If possible, wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.
• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water do not mix, and water causes oil to spill over causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.
• The National Turkey Federation (NTF) recommends thawing the turkey in the refrigerator approximately 24 hours for every five pounds in weight.
• Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby.  Never use water to extinguish a grease fire.  If the fire is manageable, use your all-purpose fire extinguisher.  If the fire increases, immediately call the fire department for help.

Bottom Line

"Thanksgiving marks the start of a very busy time for all firefighters," said Acting Fire Administrator Glenn Gaines.  "Holiday decorations, heating, and increased indoor cooking all present just some of the causes of residential fires. Your place of residence should be the safest place of all. Protect it with working smoke alarms and know what to do if a fire should occur."

Fire Drill

"Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves." ~Italian Proverb

This week the fire alarm went off at the office. The first thought was, oh, not another drill. Then I remembered, I don't work in NYC anymore where drills are mandatory twice a year. Here in Stamford, CT, the alarm has only gone off once before in two years while it was being tested.

So I decided to treat this alarm as real. (My first mistake, don't delay! Always treat alarms as real!) My next thought was, what will I take with me? I should have taken my entire work bag which includes a first aid kit but I thought that would look silly. (That was my second mistake, never worry about appearances during an emergency or drill). As it turns out many other employees took their purses or work bags with them.

After a pause for thinking, I took a hat for warmth (my coat is in the car outdoors) and my reading glasses, and followed the crowd down the stairs and out the building.

My third mistake was to stop with the crowd just a few feet outside the building door. Someone wiser had to remind us to move farther away so that the entrance would be clear for emergency personnel.

Fortunately this was a drill (or false alarm) and we were allowed back in the office after a few minutes.

Bottom Line

Don't underestimate the importance of drills. After you evacuate, imagine the office or house is a total loss to fire. What is gone that you wish you had saved? Everyone makes mistakes and a drill is the best time to learn and correct one's actions.

Fire Safety

"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." - George Washington

I'm reminded by the Red Cross that this is Fire Safety Week. I recommend printing out this Red Cross page and having each family member read it. http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/pdf/Preparedness/checklists/FireSafety.pdf

The Red Cross knows about fires. When my wife & I were active disaster responders, every event but one that we assisted was a fire (the one exception was a regional flood). Here are some highlights from the fact sheet.

1. Sixty-five percent of home fire deaths occur in homes with no working smoke alarms.
2. Smoke alarms are worse than useless if the battery is dead. Check the alarm monthly and change batteries twice a year.
3. The most common causes of home fires are: kitchen fires starting in the oven/stove, space heaters igniting something nearby, falling asleep while smoking a cigarette, children playing with matches.

I was surprised by the Red Cross statement on fire extinguishers, "Use a portable fire extinguisher ONLY if you have been trained by the fire department and ..." This seems overly restrictive to me but it does drive home a few points:
a. you MUST practice with fire extinguisher. They run out quickly and many people will use them incorrectly (for example spraying the flames when they need to spray the base of the fire instead).
b. a typical home extinguisher is limited to fires up to the size of a basketball or small trash can. It will not extinguish a burning couch or bed or Christmas tree that is completely aflame.
c. Safety first - before you play the hero with the extinguisher and die of smoke inhalation, get the family out first and make sure 9-1-1 is called.

Bottom Line

Here are some earlier posts I've written on fires...

how-to-use-fire-extinguisher
house-fires

kitchen-fires

value-of-drills

october-fire-safety-month

fire!  (the speed and intensity of fires)

oh-christmas-tree-oh-christmas-tree

christmas-fires

Appliance Fires

"If you see anyone acting suspiciously near or on a sub-station, please call the police."-alert issued in UK

The Guardian reports an unusual story in the town of Bolton, UK. Thieves broke into an electrical substation and stole £20 worth of copper switching parts to sell on the black market. This caused a power surge as the voltage jumped from 230 to 400V which started fires in 71 homes as TVs, microwaves, washing machines, and other appliances burst into flames. Several hundred houses had blown fuses.

"Then suddenly I heard a 'poof' noise. At first I thought, 'What was that?', and sat down in my chair. Then I saw smoke coming out of my digibox [TV] and I jumped up quick and turned off the box at the plug. Shortly afterwards my husband was in the kitchen, and he saw a huge flame come out of the microwave. It frightened him to death. It all shook me up. You don't expect to see smoke coming out of your television."

Sadly the response from the power Utility did not impress me. They issued a warning that the thieves were endangering their own lives as well as those of others – and face the threat of prosecution. "Threat" of prosecution - that will surely discourage copycat thieves. What ever happened to, we will track you down and you will pay for your crime? Why are the authorities being so polite? "Please don't steal this, you might hurt yourself." This is a crime against society and needs to be taken very seriously.

Bottom Line

There is a reason that homes have a circuit breaker box. An additional surge protector may protect your TV but you're unlikely to have every appliance on a surge protector. And if something does go up in smoke, you want a working fire alarm to give you warning ASAP. And of course you have a fire extinguisher -right?

How to Use a Fire Extinguisher

I fell into a burning Ring of Fire,
I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher
and it burns, burns, burns, the Ring of Fire.
- “Ring Of Fire” lyrics, Johnny Cash

To use a Fire Extinguisher, remember PASS:

Pull the Pin
Aim at the Base
Squeeze the Lever
Sweep from side to side.

Most extinguishers have a pull pin or ring to prevent accidental discharge. Begin by pulling out that pin. Next aim at the bottom of the fire. Blowing away the flames at the top of a fire is pointless when there’s a hot base of burning material that keeps generating more flames. You want to cool and smother the fuel of the fire. Now squeeze the lever slowly to shoot out the “foam”. Extinguishers empty quickly (about 10 seconds) so aim wisely and well – don’t rush it; don’t panic. And don’t shoot just at one spot; sweep back and forth to cover the entire base of the fire.

If the heat of the fire is too hot for you get near, then the fire is too big for your extinguisher. Call 9-1-1 before trying to put out a fire so help is on the way. Leave yourself an exit, don’t allow the fire to surround you and trap you.

Be sure you’re using the right kind of extinguishers. Most home types are rated ABC and use a chemical foam as the agent.

A – wood, paper and normal combustibles. Water works well here

B – Oil, grease or fuel fires. Never use water (Oil & Water don’t mix!). Burning oil will just float atop water or spatter and spread.

C – electrical fires. Again, no water – you could shock yourself.

Once the fire is out, don't walk away! Watch the area for a few minutes in case it re-ignites.

Don’t forget to buy a new extinguisher or recharge your old one immediately after use.

Bottom Line

Practice with an old extinguisher to get the feel of it. CERT provides hands-on fire training as so some fire departments. Don’t wait for a real fire to be your first time using an extinguisher.

Resources

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Fire-Extinguisher
http://www.fire-extinguisher101.com/using.html
http://www.fire-extinguisher101.com/
http://www.fireextinguisher.com/intro.html?language=en&industry=other

Christmas Fires

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall."-Larry Wilde

Here is an interesting story of holiday events gone wrong at wwwStraightDope.com

My assistant Una had an Uncle Bob, a manly man who felt throwing the Christmas tree away was a waste of good firewood. So he tossed it in the fireplace — gave him a nice warm glow.
Unfortunately what was glowing was the roof, presumably ignited by embers.
Fortunately the fire was small and anybody with a hose could have put it out. Unfortunately the hose was frozen solid and the fire department had trouble getting the nearest hydrant to work.
Fortunately the firefighters were able to throw a ladder up against the house and put out the fire with a chemical extinguisher. They then hacked off a small hunk of charred roof with axes, peered into the crawl space, and declared the fire out.
Unfortunately, having by now found an operational hydrant, the firemen declared they needed to hose down the roof "as policy," sending a torrent of water through the hole and collapsing the living room ceiling.
Really unfortunately, the house that all this happened in belonged not to Uncle Bob but his in-laws. Bob bought them an RV and matters were pronounced square, but it was a lesson he won't soon forget, and neither should you.

Bottom Line

I recommend reading the entire StraightDope story at Why is it dangerous to burn wrapping paper? And check out this classic of how quickly a dry christmas tree can go up in flame - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIQY7x6MwMg

Safely dispose of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are highly flammable and should not be left in a house or garage, or placed against the house.

8 Tools and Gadgets to Prepare Your Home

"A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams."

Today’s recommended reading is Popular Mechanics, “8 Tools and Gadgets to Prepare Your Home For Any Disaster”

The tools are:

1. Power Generator
2. Fire Extinguisher
3. First Aid Kit
4. Hand crank radio with NOAA weather alerts
5. Power converter to plug appliances into the car’s cigarette lighter
6. Water bladder
7. Water Filter
8. 4-in-1 Emergency Emergency Wrench

Bottom Line

Since the cost of these items is not cheap, don’t rush out and buy all of them at top dollar right now. Buy one at a time as holiday gifts. Or look for sales.

Box Ovens

“If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”-President Harry S. Truman

This story comes from Box Oven at PreparedForSurvival.com. This looks like a fun project to try with our Cub Scout pack. However during an actual emergency I think I’d use my Little Joe BBQ grill instead of a box oven to cook food.

1 Brick (or flat rocks)
1 roll Aluminum foil, heavy-duty
1 Corrugated cardboard box
1 Metal pie pan (an old one you won’t cook with again)
3 Coat hangers
4 Charcoal briquettes, lit

1. Cover the inside and outside of the box completely with 3 or 4 layers of aluminum foil, including the flaps. Lay box on level ground so that the opening opens oven-style (front-door style is OK, too).

2. Straighten the coat hangers, then run them through the sides of the box about 2/3 of the way up from the bottom to form a rack.

3. Set brick or rocks on oven bottom. Place the live coals onto the pie pan and put the pan on brick. Use an oven mitt or hot pad to avoid burns when handling the pan.

4. Place food to be cooked onto the coat-hanger rack and close the oven door.

5. Watch carefully, checking often. Each live coal makes about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (some say 35 F)

Bottom Line
We have a big grill at home but during an emergency I’ll want to conserve my limited supply of charcoal. So a small “beach” grill or box oven can let one confine the heat in a small space and cook with fewer briquettes. There is also a “volcano” line of products for maximizing charcoal heating:
The original Volcano stove
The Volcano II Collapsible Cookstove, its offical web site and evaluated by Scout leaders

The box oven story above mentions using “lit” charcoal. My favorite method for starting briquettes is a charcoal chimney. (YouTube demonstration) If you use lighter fluid the fumes inside a box oven will affect the food.

Another option for cardboard box ovens is solar power. See Inventor turns cardboard boxes into eco-friendly oven for more details.