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Somewhere in the nation, a home fire occurs approximately every 85
seconds. The peak time for a death from a home fire is between 2 a.m. and
4 a.m.-when most people are asleep. Test yourself below about home fires.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District wants you to be able to tell the
facts, not repeat the myths.
Myth-The smoke from a fire will wake you soon enough
to escape a fire.
Fact-Tragically, many people mistakenly believe
they'd be awakened by the smell of smoke in time to escape. Recent
clinical experiments have found that the sense of smell actually lessens
when people are asleep. Therefore, when smoke enters a bedroom, it does
not always awaken the individual. Smoke disorients people and dulls their
senses.
Myth-Smoke detectors will work for the entire
life of the home.
Fact-Clinical studies have shown that smoke
detectors begin to fail after 10 years.
Myth-Smoke detectors do not save lives.
Fact-In the United States 80 percent of fire
deaths occurred in homes without a working smoke detector. Fire deaths in
homes without a smoke detector made up half of those deaths. If fire
occurs, working smoke detectors cut the risk of dying in a home fire
nearly in half. In 1999, home fire deaths dropped to 2,895, the lowest
ever recorded.
Myth-If I teach my children at ages 6 or 7 how to
use matches or lighters correctly, they won't play with fire.
Fact-A recent study has shown that children ages
6 to 7 that have been instructed or allowed to use matches and lighters
with their parent's permission were 50 percent more likely to play with
fire without their parent's knowledge.
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