5 surprising facts from fire safety

1.) Carbon monoxide poisoning
 Carbon monoxide is a gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. It is produced by gas or oil furnaces, space and water heaters, clothes dryers, ovens, wood stoves and other household appliances that run on fossil fuels such as wood, gas, oil or coal. 
2.)Smoke alarms 
Smoke alarms protect everyone. Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home, especially near sleeping areas. Test the alarms monthly by gently pushing the alarm test button with a broom handle or cane. Make sure everyone can hear the smoke alarms from all areas of your home.
3.)Automatic sprinklers 

Automatic sprinklers systems have enjoyed an enviable record of protecting life and property for over 100 years. Statistics demonstrate that there has never been a multiple loss of life in a fully sprinklered building where the system operated as designed. Sprinklers are a cost-effective technology that provides for a high level of life safety. Residential fire sprinkler technology is proving both reliable and effective. Property losses are 85% less in residences with fire sprinklers compared to those without. As positive as this information is however, there are still common misunderstandings about the operation and effectiveness of home fire sprinkler systems. The following are some of the more common myths:

• Myth 1: "Water damage from a sprinkler system will be more extensive than fire damage"
  Fact: Water damage from a home sprinkler system will be much less severe than the damage caused by water from fire-fighting hose lines or smoke and fire damage if the fire goes unabated. Quick response sprinklers release approximately 30-90 liters (8-24 gallons) of water per minute compared to 190-473 liters (50-125 gallons) per minute released by a fire hose.
• Myth 2: "When a fire activates one sprinkler head, all sprinkler heads will activate"
  Fact: Residential sprinklers respond independently to a rated temperature setting of approximately 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit). Usually, only one sprinkler is activated to extinguish or limit the fire to its room of origin.
• Myth 3: "Sprinklers might activate by accident"
  Fact: The odds of accidental discharge due to a manufacturing defect are 1 in 16 million per year.
• Myth 4: "A sprinkler system might freeze in winter and cause water damage"
  Fact: Much like your plumbing system, your sprinkler system piping is installed on inside walls adjacent to the ceiling framing and then insulated to entrap the available heat lost from the living area below.
• Myth 5: "A smoke alarm on its own offers adequate protection"
  Fact: Smoke alarms will save lives by providing a much-needed early warning system. However, smoke alarms do nothing to extinguish a growing fire. Too often, battery operated smoke alarms fail to function because of dead or missing batteries. In order for smoke alarms to be effective in saving lives, they must be working and they must be maintained on a regular basis.