Home fire safety: the complete checklist piece by piece
A practical checklist covering every room in the house. Three out of four fatal fires happen at night. Do this audit before you need it.
In Belgium, firefighters respond to around 10,000 domestic fires per year. Three out of four fatal fires happen at night, when the occupants are sleeping. It is not the fire that kills the majority of victims, but the inhalation of smoke, often within the first three minutes after ignition.
This checklist is not theoretical. Each point reflects what investigators find again and again in the destroyed houses.
Smoke detectors (compulsory in all Belgian regions)
Since 2020, all Belgian housing must be equipped with at least one smoke detector per floor. Check:
- One detector per floor, basement and attic included if they are habitable
- A detector in the corridor of each floor with bedrooms
- Additional detector in each room (highly recommended)
- Maximum age: 10 years from the date of manufacture
- Test monthly with the test button
- Battery replaced every year, or 10-year sealed battery model
- Interconnected detectors if large house
Budget for a 3-bedroom house with interconnected WiFi: 120 to 250 EUR.
Kitchen (where most fires start)
Statistically, 60% of home fires start in the kitchen. Your checklist:
- Never leave a pan on the fire unattended
- Fire blanket within easy reach of the hob
- Small Class F fire extinguisher (suitable for cooking oil) nearby
- No curtains or flammable fabrics less than 1 meter from the fire
- Hood filter cleaned every 3 months
- Energy-consuming appliances unplugged when not in use
- Smoke detector NOT in the kitchen itself but in the adjacent hallway
Living room
- No power strip connected to another power strip
- TV, console and decoder unplugged at night
- Candles never left unattended
- Chimney: annual sweeping, spark arresters in place
- Wood stove: dry wood only, CO detector present
Rooms
- Smoke detector in the room
- Telephone or flashlight within reach of the bed
- Evacuation route planned from each room
- No clothes drying on the radiators
- Electric blanket disconnected and replaced after 10 years
Laundry room and technical room
- Tumble dryer filter cleaned before each cycle
- Dryer exhaust duct checked every year
- Boiler serviced every year by a certified technician
- CO detector less than 5 meters from each combustion appliance
- Electrical panel without burn marks
Garage and basement
- Gasoline, oil, solvents stored in their original container
- No flammable liquids stored near the boiler
- Battery tools and chargers not left unattended for long periods of time
- Storage at least 1 meter from the boiler
Evacuation plan
A fire doubles in size every 30 seconds.
- Two evacuation routes identified for each room
- Outdoor meeting point agreed with the whole family
- Emergency ladder stored in each bedroom upstairs
- House number visible from the street at night
- Keys always hanging on the same hook near the main door
- Family exercise carried out at least once a year, including at night
Insurance and documents
- Home fire insurance in force and up to date
- Inventory of valuables with photos
- Scanned copy of documents accessible from your phone
In summary
A house audited according to this list, equipped with interconnected WiFi detectors, a fire blanket, an emergency ladder per bedroom upstairs and a CO detector, costs between 200 and 500 EUR total.
A fire without this equipment costs you your home, sometimes your family. The audit takes 90 minutes. Do it this weekend.