Warning! Is Your Garage A Ticking Timebomb In Louisiana Heat?

Here in Louisiana, we have essentially been under a heat advisory every day until about 8:00 pm for the last three weeks.

That means that we should all take special safety precautions if spending extended periods of time outdoors.

According to the website ready.gov these precautions include a number of things.

• Never leave people or pets in a closed car on a warm day.
• If air conditioning is not available in your home go to a cooling center.
• Take cool showers or baths.
• Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
• Use your oven less to help reduce the temperature in your home.
• If you’re outside, find shade. Wear a hat wide enough to protect your face.
• Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
• Avoid high-energy activities or work outdoors, during midday heat, if possible.
• Check on family members, seniors and neighbors.
• Watch for heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Don't Forget About The Safety Of Your Home

But, have you ever considered the safety of your home during this same type of heat? Did you realize that this type of excessive heat could actually turn a number of things stored in your garage into ticking timebombs?

The National Fire Protection Association states:

Flammable or combustible liquids cause more than 51,000 home fires each year, resulting in 168 deaths, 1,029 injuries and $644 million in property damage

Scary isn't it? So exactly what are those items that might be highly volatile during excessive heat and demand our immediate attention?

What Are The Items In Your Garage That Need Your Attention?

UL.com lists a number of different things.

• Rubbing alcohol
• Gasoline
• Paint thinner
• Turpentine
• Lighter fluid
• Aerosol cans
• Linseed oil
• Acetone

Even those propane tanks you use for your barbecue grill or fish cooker could prove highly dangerous.  Just look at this story from wral.com back in 2010 where two propane tanks that were stored inside the trunk of a car inside a home garage caused an explosion that severely burned a man.

Of course, instances like this are extremely rare, but we consumers are advised to:

Store all these flammable liquids or solvents in tightly sealed containers and keep far away from heat sources.

Make sure that you put on the cap and, if it spills, clean it up properly.