Nearly everyone has heard about the “tiny house” movement in the United States.  Here in Chattooga County, there are “tiny home” communities at Cloudland and in Lyerly.  When it comes to fire safety, tiny homes are no more dangerous than “normal-size” houses, but tiny homes do present some unique situations that need to be considered.

Last week, the Trion Fire Department spent some time training and the topic of the event was a simulated structure fire in a tiny home.  Trion Fire Department said the scenario for the training was, “on the new tiny homes that have become popular.”

Godownsize.com is an online publication that specializes in tiny-homes.  According to the organization, there are special concerns for tiny-home dwellers.  Kitchens are often smaller, so that means that kitchen fires are a concern and can spread quickly to other living spaces since the homes are so small.  Also, the tiny-home experts say that just like regular sized homes, tiny home dwellers should have working smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and a safety plan in place.

The Trion Fire Department’s training last week involved firefighter learning how to get a victim safely out of a burning tiny-home with only two exits.

The tiny-home experts at Godownsize.com say “Fires are a concern in any house, not just tiny houses.  However, which such limited space, fires in a tiny house can quickly turn disastrous. The best way to prevent a fire is to plan for a fire.”