Home Protection Basics

Simple home security, safety, and insurance guides for normal homeowners.

Fire Safety

These guides focus on how fires start, how alarms and detectors should be installed and maintained, and how to plan realistic escape routes. The goal is early detection, controlled ignition sources, and simple exits that work under stress.

Smoke Detector Placement Guide

Where smoke detectors must go in a typical home so fires are caught early, especially near bedrooms and hallways.

Carbon Monoxide Safety Basics

How CO is produced, where to place detectors, and which symptoms signal a real exposure problem.

Fire Extinguisher Types and Uses

What the different extinguisher classes mean and where each type belongs in a standard house.

Home Fire Alarm Maintenance

Routine tests, battery changes, and replacement timelines so alarms work when they need to.

Interconnected Alarm Benefits

Why linking alarms together matters and how it changes your warning time during a real fire.

Photoelectric vs Ionization Alarms

How each technology reacts to smoldering versus fast fires and how to mix them in a home.

Alarm Testing Schedule

How often to test, what a proper test looks like, and what to do if a unit fails.

Replacing Smoke Detectors

How to tell when a detector is at end-of-life and the right way to swap it for a new unit.

Reducing False Smoke Alarms

Placement and behavior changes that cut nuisance alarms without disabling protection.

Alarms for High-Ceiling Homes

Detector types and placements that still work when ceilings are high or vaulted.

Home Fire Escape Plan Checklist

Core steps to build a simple, repeatable escape plan that everyone in the home understands.

Two-Story Escape Strategies

Realistic ways to escape from upper floors, including when ladders make sense and when they don’t.

Teaching Kids Fire Escape Basics

How to train children to react to alarms, use exits, and avoid hiding during a fire.

Nighttime Fire Escape Planning

Adjusting plans for sleeping conditions, darkness, and closed doors at night.

Mobility-Limited Escape Plans

Planning exits for elderly, injured, or disabled occupants who cannot move quickly or use stairs easily.

Apartment Fire Escape Guide

How escape changes in multi-unit buildings, including stairwells, balconies, and interior corridors.

Identifying Primary Exits

Choosing first-choice exits by room so people are not guessing in smoke and low visibility.

Meeting Point Planning

Picking a simple, visible place outside so head counts are quick and fire crews get clear info.

Smoke Crawling Technique Basics

When to crawl, how low to stay, and how to move through smoke without getting turned around.

Multi-Level Fire Escape Basics

Coordinating escape routes across floors so exits don’t conflict or bottleneck.

Kitchen Fire Prevention Basics

Typical ignition sources in kitchens and simple habits that stop most cooking fires.

Stovetop Fire Safety Basics

Grease fires, pan fires, and what to do—and not do—when something lights up on the stove.

Space Heater Safety Basics

Clearances, power limits, and placement rules that keep portable heaters from starting fires.

Electrical Fire Prevention Basics

Outlets, breakers, and wiring issues that actually matter for electrical fire risk.

Extension Cord Safety Basics

How much load cords can handle, where not to run them, and when they should be replaced.

Clothes Dryer Fire Prevention

Lint, vent runs, and maintenance steps that keep dryers from igniting ductwork or walls.

Garage Fire Hazards

Typical ignition sources in garages and how to store fuel, tools, and equipment safely.

Flammable Liquid Storage Basics

Where and how to store gas, solvents, and other flammable liquids so spills do not become fires.

Wildfire Defensible Space Basics

How to clear and arrange vegetation and materials around the home in wildfire-prone areas.

Wildfire Evacuation Basics

When to leave, what to pack, and how to stage vehicles when a wildfire is approaching.

Fireplace Maintenance Basics

Inspection and cleaning habits that keep fireplaces from sending flames or embers into the room.

Chimney Cleaning Basics

Creosote buildup, cleaning intervals, and why some chimneys need more frequent service.

Furnace Fire Hazard Basics

Common furnace issues that can lead to fire and what a basic safety inspection should catch.

HVAC Fire Risk Basics

Where heating and cooling equipment presents ignition risk and how to minimize it.

Holiday Fire Safety Basics

Light strings, candles, trees, and overloaded circuits during the holiday season.

Candle Safety Guidelines

Placement, supervision, and alternatives so candles do not become ignition points.

Children and Fire Safety Basics

How to control matches, lighters, and curious behavior without relying on constant supervision.

Fire Safety for Renters

What renters can control, what landlords are responsible for, and what to check before signing.

Home Fire Drill Guide

How to run simple drills a few times a year without turning them into a production.

Smoke Barrier Basics

How closed doors, walls, and simple adjustments slow smoke movement long enough to escape.

Escape Ladder Use Basics

When portable ladders make sense, how to mount them, and what practice should look like.

Fire Extinguisher Maintenance Basics

How often to check, what to look for on gauges and seals, and when to replace units.

Fire Risk Room-by-Room

Breaking the home into rooms and identifying the main ignition hazards in each.

Fire Safety Myths Debunked

Common bad advice about house fires and what actually happens in real incidents.

Common Residential Fire Causes

Which ignition sources actually show up in reports and how often they occur.

How to Identify Fire Hazards

Simple walkthrough method for spotting overloaded outlets, clutter, and ignition risks.

Home Fire Suppression Basics

What small fires can be safely fought, which ones require immediate evacuation, and why.

Fire Safety Checkup Routine

Quick recurring checks that keep alarms, exits, and high-risk areas under control.

Multi-Family Fire Safety Basics

Special concerns in townhomes, duplexes, and other attached housing.

Rural Fire Response Limitations

How longer response times and water supply issues change what “prepared” looks like.