When a friend lost her home in a fire that started in her breaker box, Jerry Hutson came up with the idea to place firecrackers on surfaces that might be the source of a fire. “You can’t miss the sound of firecrackers going off,” said Hutson, “so why not use that as an early fire detection system?” Hutson places firecrackers in the switch box and around the wiring coming out of it. They can also be placed near wall outlets, over wood stoves, in live Christmas trees, and around chimneys in the attic. “They would be good in a barn with a heat lamp,” said Hutson. The good thing about firecrackers is that they’re safe because heat won’t set them off. If, however, there’s a spark or flame, they’ll light and go off with a bang to provide a loud warning before any smoke alarm sounds. Fortunately, Hutson has never had a fire to test his system in the several years he’s been placing fireworks around potential fire areas in his home. To make sure they’re fresh, he replaces them every three years and lets the grandkids set off the old ones.
