Storm Shutters Can Be a Fire Hazard
If you are using storm shutters in your coastal New Jersey home to protect your house from hurricane season, beware.
As provided by the Insurance Journal, Firefighters say they’ve stressed for years that window coverings should be up only when storms are threatening, and shouldn’t be used as security devices. They can create a severe fire hazard. The window coverings can trap fire and smoke in the house, occupants may have difficulty exiting their home quickly during an emergency, and firefighters have difficulty entering the house.
Now a central Florida lawyer is pushing the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to pass a rule requiring manufacturers to build window coverings so people can release them from the inside. Manufacturers should be required to notify current users of the danger and should post warning labels on both the outside and inside of new products.
Of 12 deaths listed by the law firm, none occurred during a hurricane or even when one was threatening. Only three occurred during the hurricane season and “the manner in which the shutters were used was likely a key factor in determining the outcomes of these residential fires.”
Permanently affixed, movable coverings such as accordions, Bahama awnings, and crank-driven and motorized roll-downs, while more costly, can be slid over a window in seconds when a storm is threatening — and safely pushed back in seconds after that.
But more economical plywood and steel or aluminum storm panels are heavy and unwieldy; a 10-foot-long one can weigh up to 30 pounds. And panels can take several hours to put up and take down.
Because of that, many people, especially seniors, will leave them up for long stretches of the hurricane season, or all of it, or even all year. The panels tend to trap heat and smoke, and when firefighters finally do break through, they can be slammed by a back-draft.
Keep your family and your home safe. Use storm shutters only during a storm and make sure you have a safety plan in place in case of a fire emergency in your home.
All content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only. Topics discussed on this blog relate to insurance products and issues in a general application, and are not an offer of insurance, a guarantee of coverage, or applicable to specific and individual circumstances. Contact LG Insurance Agency for questions and information specific to your insurance needs.
