Public Service Announcement - Action Movies and Superheros Are Distracting Homeowners From the Harsh Realities of Home Fires

Popular Cathedral Vaulted Ceilings and Open Concept Design Contribute to Quicker, Hotter Home Fires

INTERNET, Dec. 19, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Have action movies and Teflon superheroes lulled us into a false sense of security when it comes to home fires? On screen, the good guys survive fires with ease and have time for dramatic rescues among the flames.

The Reality: You have less than 2 minutes to escape your home when fire strikes. Between 2500 and 3000 Americans die in home fires every year.

"We have been so successful in reducing the number of fires, people often do not think they are going to be impacted by a [home] fire," said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for the National Fire Prevention Association (http://www.nfpa.org/). "The level of complacency in the community means they may not be as careful as they should be."

Hollywood keeps misleading us. We've seen movie heroes hold a small flame to a sprinkler head to set off all the sprinklers on the floor. Big myth.

The Reality: Only the high temperature that results from a fire will activate a sprinkler, so fire near one head will not set off all the sprinklers. Often one sprinkler head is enough to limit a fire or even put it out before the fire department arrives.

"The unfortunate reality is a number of jurisdictions have removed the provision for home fire sprinklers in their adoption process for their building code," said Carli. "The model code is the minimum level of safety and a jurisdiction that decides to take that [sprinkler] requirement out is in fact allowing substandard homes to be built in that community."

The majority of fire deaths happen at home.

However, home is where we feel safe and secure. "How many of us are overlooking fire safety issues that are staring us in the face?," asks PJ Wade, featured columnist at RealtyTimes.com, in her latest article, "Less Than Two Minutes To Survive!" -- http://realtytimes.com/consumeradvice/homeownersadvice/item/1007925-20171219-house-fires-less-than-two-minutes-to-survive?rtmpage=

Texas-based Realty Times is committed to providing the full range of views on real estate—on property and the industry itself—to deliver long-term perspectives with short-term context. To learn more about Realty Times visit RealtyTimes.com.

For more on PJ Wade's Realty Times column, "Decisions & Communities" — http://realtytimes.com/consumeradvice/buyersadvice/itemlist/user/714-pjwade

Source: PJ Wade "The Catalyst" — contact PJ at [email protected] or visit PJ's website and "What's Your Point?" blog at www.TheCatalyst.com.

SOURCE Realty Times

PJ Wade, [email protected]