Fire Safety

Install smoke detectors on every level of your home and inside sleeping areas.
Test every detector once a week.
Keep smoke detectors dust free. Replace batteries with new ones at least twice a year or sooner if the detector makes a chirping sound.
If you have a smoke detector directly wired into your electrical system, be sure that the little signal light is blinking periodically. This tells you that the alarm is active.
Smoke detectors are available for the hearing impaired.

Fire extinguishers should be mounted in the kitchen, garage, and workshop.
Purchase an ABC type extinguisher for extinguishing all types of fires.
Learn how to use your fire extinguisher before there is an emergency.
Remember; use an extinguisher on small fires only. If there is a large fire, get out immediately and call 911 from another location.

Prepare a floor plan of your home showing at least two ways out of each room.
Sleep with your bedroom door closed. In the event of fire, it helps to hold back heat and smoke. But if a door feels hot, do not open it; escape through another door or window.
Easy-to-use window escape ladders are available through many catalogues and outlet stores.
Agree on a fixed outside location where everyone should gather for a head count.
Stay together away from the fire. Call 911 from another location. Make certain that no one goes back inside the burning building.
Check corridors and stairways to make sure they are free of obstructions and combustibles.

Install and maintain heating equipment correctly. Have your furnace inspected by a professional prior to the start of every heating season.
Do not store newspapers, rags, or other combustible materials near a furnace, water heater, space heater, etc.
Do not leave space heaters operating when you’re not in the room.
Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything that might burn, including the wall.
Do not use extension cords with electrical space heaters. The high amount of current they require could melt the cord and start a fire.
Never use the oven as a substitute for a furnace or space heater.

Use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks from flying.
Do not store newspapers, kindling, or matches near the fireplace.
Have your chimney inspected by a professional prior to the start of every heating season and cleaned to remove combustible creosote build-up.
When lighting a gas fireplace, strike your match first, then turn on the gas.

It is wise to have a fire extinguisher near the kitchen. Keep it 10 feet away from the stove on the exit side of the kitchen.
Never pour water on a grease fire; turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid, or close the oven door.
Keep pot handles on the stove pointing to the back, and always watch young children in the kitchen.
Do not store items on the stove top, as they could catch fire.
Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good condition, and turn them off and disconnect them when not in use.
Wear tight-fitting clothing when you cook.
Clean the exhaust hood and duct over the stove regularly. Wipe up spilled grease as soon as the surface of the stove is cool.

It is better not to use extension cords. If you feel you must use one, make sure it is in good condition. Do not run it under a rug or twist it around anything.
Never overload an outlet. The use of outlet multipliers that accommodate several plugs is strongly discouraged.
Do not use light bulbs whose wattage is too high for the fixture. Look for the label inside each fixture which tells the maximum wattage.
If a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows frequently, immediately cut down on the number of appliances on that line.
Be sure all electrical equipment bears the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label.
In many older homes, the capacity of the wiring system has not kept pace with today’s modern appliances. Overloaded electrical systems invite fire. Call a qualified electrician to get expert help.

Flammable liquids should be stored only in approved safety containers, and outside.
Gas up lawn equipment and snow throwers outside, away from any source of sparks.
Start the equipment 10 feet from where you filled it with fuel.
Do not fill a hot lawn mower, snow thrower, or other motor; let it cool first.
Never clean floors or do general cleaning with gasoline or flammable liquids.

Last updated on December 1, 2009