For the family of James and Angie Cahoone, fire prevention and preparedness week last week hit close to home. They recently experienced a fire at their home at 721 West St.
Angie Cahoone said her family has always been big on preparedness. They had a smoke detector in every room. Those smoke detectors would have saved their lives had they been home at the time of the fire, which was caused by an electrical problem.
“All of our smoke detectors were going off,” Cahoone said. “There was one that was completely melted and it was still going. They were still going off even after the firemen were done putting out the fires.”
All homes should have working smoke detectors, Fire Chief Jack Taylor said. And smoke detector batteries should be changed on Oct. 29, when clocks are set back at the end of daylight saving time.
Cahoone offered her strategies for fire safety.
“We have always told our kids, if there’s a fire, you get out,” Cahoone said. “You don’t try to get your favorite stuffed animals.”
Cahoone said since the blaze, her children’s perception of fire has changed.
“They are aware that smoke doesn’t just go away,” she said. “And fire burns and it burns hot.”
The Cahoones and their three children lost most of their personal possessions to the fire. The inside of the house was a tiotal loss.They had insurance.
“It’ll be three to six months, if everything goes right, before we can be back into our house,” Cahoone said.
In light of the fire, Cahoone said her best advice would be to keep receipts for items purchased for the home and “you might want to videotape or take pictures of everything you own,” she said. “And keep it separate from your house or in a fireproof box.”
Taylor is getting the word out about how to prevent common fires in the home. According to the National Fire Protection Association, he said, home cooking fires kill hundreds of Americans and injure about 4,000 more each year.
“Three in 10 home fires start in the kitchen,” Taylor said. “Unattended cooking is the largest cause of home cooking fires.”
Taylor said another common cause of house fires is candles.
“We really tell people to not leave candles burning and unattended,” Taylor said.
Taylor added that heat rises and candles should not be left near combustibles or under things that can catch fire. He also said to make sure that burning instructions are followed. If a candle’s directions state not to burn for more than two hours — don’t.