If you have found yourself with a little more time on your hands lately you may be using it as an opportunity to take care of some jobs around the house. One task you may decide to take care of is cleaning out the garage. Why not also use this as a chance to eliminate any potential fire risks?
Why is the garage at a high risk of fire? Firstly, its where many combustible items are often kept like outdoor equipment, gas canisters, used paint cans and cleaning supplies, etc. If these items are not stored in the correct way they could become a fire hazard. Here are some other ways to reduce the risk of a garage fire:
When doing jobs like fixing gardening equipment and machinery or working on your car, make sure you leave the garage door open so that toxic fumes do not build up. The garage door should always be open when a vehicle is running as well, as extremely lethal fumes accumulate very quickly. Immediately clean up any spills of oil or other combustible liquids and do not leave any garbage or oily rags, etc. on the garage floor for a long time as this increases the fire potential.
Make sure that you have the appropriate amount of carbon monoxide and smoke detectors installed in your garage as well as your house and test them each month to check if the batteries need replacing.
Garages that are attached to the home require extra vigilance when it comes to fire safety. To be sure that dangerous fumes are not escaping into the home, check the connecting door and frame for gaps or cracks, and fix them immediately if you find any.
