How to prevent fire in garage

Garage fire is a serious matter. Such fires take longer to detect and manage and more often than not have the potential to grow into something massive and uncontrollable. Not many people consider installing a heat or fire detector in their garage. And what compounds the situation is that a typical garage stores all sorts of hazardous elements that can raise serious safety concerns if kept in the same place. The leading cause of garage fires is malfunctioning in electrical components, for example damaged wires and overloaded electrical outlets. In addition, most homeowners typically store a range of flammable materials in the garage. Highly combustible liquids can be very easily kindled by even a small spark.

Tips to Prevent Fire in a Garage

1. Store flammable liquids such as oil, gasoline, paints, solvents, brake fluid, thinners, motor oil, propane and varnishes away from the sources of heat and fire such as water heater, furnaces, boilers and electric outlets and appliances. Store them in labelled containers.
2. Never store propane tanks inside the garage.
3. Don’t overload outlets and plug only one appliance at a time.
4. Small pieces of wood like sawdust and chips are far more combustible than bigger logs or boards. Once you have cut wood, sweep these tiny elements right away.
5. Place the oily rags in a steel bucket with lid. Or you can also hang the rags on a line for drying while keeping them far away from sources of fire.
6. Keep a fire extinguisher in your garage. You can also install a heat alarm and a sprinkler system.
7. Make it a habit to keep the garage clutter-free and free of debris such as papers, oily rags etc.
8. Keep an eye on the wiring and better still ask a certified electrician to check on the wiring from time to time.