Fire Prevention
All Over Your Home
Sleeping Areas
More than half of all fatal home fires happen while people are sleeping. You can
save lives by installing smoke detectors and practicing family escape drills!
Remember these fire safety rules... Never smoke in bed or when you are drowsy.
Install smoke detectors on every level of your home,
including the basement, and especially outside every sleeping area. Make sure
everyone can hear and recognize the detectors' alarm. If you sleep with the
bedroom door closed, install smoke detectors inside the bedroom as well.
Plan and practice two escape routes from each room. If one
route leads through a window above the second floor, make sure you have a way to
reach the ground safely. Ask your fire department for advice. Make sure everyone
in your family knows how to escape, where to meet outside, and the phone number
of the fire department, which they should call from a neighbor's phone after
escaping from the building.
Living & Family Rooms
Removing fire hazards and behaving in fire safe ways can prevent most home
fires...
Use extreme caution with cigarettes! Provide large, deep
ashtrays for smokers. Before you go to bed or leave home, check for smoldering
cigarettes under cushions of couches and chairs.
Make sure TVs and stereos have space around them to prevent
overheating.
Keep space heaters and wood stoves at least 3 feet (1 meter)
away from anything that can burn. Always turn heaters off when you go to bed or
go out. Never leave children alone where a space heater or wood stove is
operating. Refuel a kerosene heater only with kerosene. Do it outside, after the
heater has cooled down.
Use a metal screen on your fireplace. Have the chimney
professionally checked once a year and cleaned when necessary. Use only aged
wood in fireplaces and wood stoves.
Keep lighters and matches up high where young children can't
see or reach them, preferably in a locked cabinet.
Kitchen
Stove burners and ovens can burn you or start fires. Be attentive and practice
these safety tips...
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Never leave cooking unattended.
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Keep your stove and oven clean.
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Wear close-fitting sleeves when cooking.
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Things that can burn should be kept away from the stove.
Don't put curtains, pot holders, towels or other combustibles near the
burners or the oven.
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Turn pot handles inward so the pots can't be knocked or
pulled over.
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If a grease fire starts, carefully slide a lid over the
pan to smother the flames, and turn off the burner.
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Never pour water on a grease fire.
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Never put foil or other metals in a microwave oven.
Workshops, Storage Areas & Outdoors
You may have flammable materials in your basement or garage. Exercise fire
safety inside and out...
If you keep gasoline on hand, store it outside your home or
in a detached garage. Keep only small quantities and use a laboratory-approved
gasoline safety can.
Always store paint and other flammable liquids in their
original labeled containers with tight-fitting lids. Use and store flammable
liquids well away from appliances, heaters, pilot lights, and cigarettes or
other sources of heat. Have your furnace checked every year by a professional.
Remove trash from your home. Don't store anything near the
furnace or heater.
Make sure your roof is non-combustible or fire retardant. If
the roofing is not slate or tile, it should be labeled "Class C."
Never use gasoline on a grill fire. Don't add charcoal
lighter fluid once the fire has started. Instead, use dry kindling to revive the
flame.
Use grills only outside of homes and off porches, and away
from combustibles. Before starting your lawnmower, snowblower, or motorcycle,
move it away from gasoline fumes. Let the motor cool before you refuel.
Never store propane cylinders indoors.
Electrical Safety All Over Your Home
Electrical systems and equipment become fire hazards if they are not well
maintained. Follow these safety tips to prevent electrical fires...
Immediately replace any electrical cords that are cracked or
frayed, or that get hot during use. Don't overload outlets or extension cords.
If appliances aren't working right, have them repaired by a
qualified professional. Disconnect any electrical device if you feel a tingle
when you touch it, if it emits a burning smell, or if it blows a fuse. Be sure
all your electrical appliances are listed or approved by an independent testing
laboratory.
If a fuse blows or a circuit breaker trips, try to find out
why. Make sure the new fuse is the right size and amperage. Fuses and circuit
breakers protect you don't tamper with them.
If there are small children in your home, use child protector
covers on outlets.
Prevent shocks. When using electrical appliances such as hair
dryers, make sure your hands are dry, and do not stand in or near water. Unplug
appliances after use. If the inside of an appliance gets wet, have it serviced
before using it again. Any electrical outlet near bathroom basins or kitchen and
bar sinks, should be protected by a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI),
which you can recognize by its buttons marked "test" and
"reset." If your kitchen and bathroom outlets aren't protected,
consult a qualified electrician.
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