Protecting Your Home & Belongings|ABC 13

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Protecting Your Home & Belongings

posted 10:53 pm Wed October 24, 2007 - Across the ABC 13 Viewing Area

tags: fire • blaze • burn • house

Despite Wednesday's rain, dry conditions, water restrictions and a land ripe for fire still plague our area. It's the same conditions Southern California was dealing with a week ago. Now, they're dealing with a major disaster. But there are steps you can take to protect your home and belongings against fire.

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ABC 13 - Protecting Your Home & Belongings

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We can't guarantee that a fire won't happen. We can't guarantee that your house won't burn to the ground. But, listen to these tips, and we promise, you'll come out OK.

San Diego Firefighter & Man arguing - "I told you to get out of here!"

Powerful video of a San Diego man desperately trying to save his house with a water hose. Rachel Keys of Allstate says we should take these images as a lesson and make a list of everything you have.

Rachel Keys, Allstate Insurance - "My biggest fear is having someone come to me saying 'I've lost everything I have, what do I do?' I can't help you."

But she can be your saving grace if you have homeowners or renters insurance and you update it every year.

Keys - "That's always a good way to know where you stand. How much coverage you have and if in fact your needs are met."

Another bit of insurance that might be good to have in your house is this fire safety box. This one cost about $50 and we got it at Home Depot. We’re going to put some of our most valuable tools in it for the day and set it on fire to show you guys how it works and how well it works. We've got a couple dollars, my daytimer and my notebook, which is very valuable to a reporter. So let's put it in and see how things work.

Five minutes and 600 degrees later, we'd had enough.

Leigh - "We're good! Take all my stuff out!"

David Jackson, Lynchburg Fire Dept. - "You can see all the plastic melted off of it and the documents inside were still cool when I took them out."

If your house is in the path of a fire, another good tip, make it less vulnerable. Don't line your house with fire hazards like leaves or straw.

Jackson - "The less fuel load you have up next to your house is best. Even mulch sometimes can be bad."

But when fire is unavoidable it doesn't have to destroy your life.

Keys - "You don't know what you've had until you no longer have it."

And here are a few more tips, always have working smoke detectors in your house. We know you've heard it before but have you check the batteries lately. Also, keep all your valuable papers in that fire safety box. That way they are all in one place and you might have a chance of grabbing them before you evacuate your house.

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