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Fire Safety & Hazard Information
Fires are deadly. But prevention and preparedness can save lives. Familiarize yourself with the following facts and tips, courtesy of the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association -- you never know when it will prove handy or even save a life!
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
It's important to have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed throughout your home or dwelling. What's just as important? Ensuring they work by testing them monthly and changing the batteries at least once a year, and ideally twice a year (such as when you change your clocks: spring forward and fall back). Also, be aware of the manufacture date of your detectors; smoke detectors should be replaced at least every 10 years. For carbon monoxide detectors, replacement is suggested every five to seven years (refer to your manufacturer's recommendations, too).
For facts and information about where to install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, please click the following links (or on the images, at right):
The Sounds of Safety
Name that chirp! Did you know that a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector have a distinctive pattern? Check out this short video from the U.S. Fire Administration to learn the difference.
Facts About Fire
When you hear a smoke alarm, you may have less than two minutes to get everyone safely outside. Check out these safety facts from the U.S. Fire Administration.
- COMMON FIRE HAZARDS
- Home Fires
- Prevention
- Cooking
- Smoking
- Electrical Appliances
- Portable Space Heaters
- Fireplaces & Wood-Burning Stoves
No one EVER expects a fire to happen to them.
Yet, in 2021 alone, according to U.S. Fire Administration data, there were:
- 353,500 residential fires
- 2,840 residential home fire deaths
- 11,400 injuries from those fires
- Billions of dollars in losses
Click on each of the common fire hazards to learn what you can do to reduce your risk.
Kitchens & Common Fire Spots
Most home fires occur in the kitchen. Cooking, in fact, is typically the leading cause of injuries from fire. However, there are other Common causes that also pose grave risks, particularly at night. These include:
- Carelessly discarded cigarettes
- Unattended candles
- Sparks from fireplaces without screens or glass doors
- Heating appliances left too close to furniture or other combustibles.
Any of these types of fires can be particularly dangerous because they may smolder for a long period before being discovered by sleeping residents.
Home fires are preventable. Follow these tips:
- Avoid using lighted candles.(Consider battery-operated versions instead.)
- Never use the range or oven to heat your home.
- Replace mattresses made before the 2007 Federal Mattress Flammability Standard. Mattresses made since then are required by law to be safer.
- Keep combustible and flammable liquids away from heat sources.
- Portable generators should never be used indoors and should only be refueled in well-ventilated outdoor areas.
Kitchen Tips
- Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
- Do not cook if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.
- Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a "kid-free zone" of 3 feet around the stove.
- Position barbecue grills at least 10 feet away from siding and deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
Cigarette Precautions
- If you smoke, smoke outside. Most home fires caused by smoking materials start inside the home. Put your cigarettes out in a can filled with sand.
- Make sure cigarettes and ashes are out. The cigarette really needs to be completely stubbed out in an ashtray or sand-filled can. Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away. Never toss hot cigarette butts or ashes in the trash can.
- Check for stray cigarette butts. Chairs and sofas catch on fire fast and burn fast. Don't put ashtrays on them. If people have been smoking in the home, check for cigarettes under cushions.
- Never smoke in a home where oxygen is used, even if it is turned off. Oxygen can be explosive and makes fire burn hotter and faster.
- Be alert - don’t smoke in bed! If you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy, put your cigarette out first.
Electronics Tips
- Frayed wires can cause fires. Replace all worn, old or damaged appliance cords immediately and do not run cords under rugs or furniture.
- Buy electrical products evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
- If an appliance has a three-prong plug, use it only in a three-slot outlet. Never force it to fit into a two-slot outlet or extension cord.
- Use electrical extension cords wisely; never overload extension cords or wall sockets.
- Immediately shut off, then professionally replace, light switches that are hot to the touch and lights that flicker.
Heater Tips
- Keep combustible objects at least 3 feet away from portable heating devices.
- Buy only heaters evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
- Check to make sure the portable heater has a thermostat control mechanism, and will switch off automatically if the heater falls over.
- Check with your local fire department on the legality of kerosene heater use in your community.
- Only use crystal clear K-1 kerosene in kerosene heaters. Never overfill it. Use the heater in a well-ventilated room.
Tips for Safe Burning
- Inspect and clean woodstove pipes and chimneys annually and check monthly for damage or obstructions.
- Never burn trash, paper, or green wood.
- Use a fireplace screen heavy enough to stop rolling logs and big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch flying sparks.
- Make sure the fire is completely out before leaving the house or going to bed.
- Store cooled ashes in a tightly sealed metal container outside the home.