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Fire Saftey  The number one cause of fire in San Francisco is faulty or overloaded wiring. San Francisco is full of beautiful old buildings and flats, many of which have wiring that is insufficient for today’s “plugged-in” lifestyle.Yet, we try to make it work by rampant use of multi-plug adaptors. You know, that long strip with four to six plugs on it that you probably have in your office, kitchen and bedroom. And if you’re like many people you have strings of them. The most likely time of a fire is between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. -- 80% of all fires in San Francisco occur when most of us are asleep. So let’s add to the mix. What can we do? No one wants to live without technology and we love our old Victorians. One thing to do is only use multi-plug adapters that are UL approved and have surge protectors or fuses in them. Take a lesson from the recent energy crisis and don’t leave on anything not in immediate use. Check your wires by feeling the cords, at the plug but not the plug itself; if the cord is warm you are at risk. Replace the adapter or better yet reduce the load on that outlet. Don’t leave appliances on at night: shut down your computer, turn off and unplug the space heaters and use the electric blanket or heating pad to warm the bed then get the flannel pjs on and turn off the blanket or pad. Don’t leave the stove unattended, turn the burner off if you’re called away and if you’re going to bake or roast something lay out all the ingredients first, make sure you have everything before you start so you won’t need to rush out to the store. Keep a charged fire extinguisher on every floor of your house. Make sure to keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen so you don’t have to walk in front of a fire to get it. The more smoke detectors the better. Fire departments accross the country recommend using our time change as a reminder to change all smoke detector batteries. - Hardware Hotline March, 2008
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