Home Fire Safety

If you awoke in the middle of the night and your house was on fire, would you know how to get out? How about your children? We remember all those fire drills from our school days, but have you ever had a home fire drill? If asked, can your children recite your family's fire safety plan? If you answered no to any of these questions, read on. Your life may depend on it.

According to the United States Fire Administration [USFA], a fire death occurs on average every 162 minutes in the United States. There is an average injury due to fire every 32 minutes. This works out to 3,245 civilian deaths and 16,400 civilian fire injuries per year. Fire causes more deaths per year than all natural disasters combined. A total of 81% of all civilian fire deaths occur in residential structures. Children and the elderly make up a large portion of these statistics. There are a few tips, none hard to implement, that can greatly increase you and your loved ones chance of surviving a fire.

- The most important tip is to have working smoke detectors. You should have at least

1 smoke detector on each level of your home. You should have 1 outside of each

Sleeping area and ideally in each bedroom also. Check your smoke detectors often

For proper operation and twice a year change the batteries. This can be done, as

Recommended by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, when you change

Your clocks in the spring and fall.

- Have a home fire safety fire escape plan. This should be practiced at least twice a

year with all family members. Components of this plan should include learning to

React to the sound of the smoke detector, having 2 escape routes from each room,

Calling 911 from outside or from a neighbors house and a designated meeting place

outside the house. More on home fire escape plans can be found at the Home Safety

Council website at www.homesafetycouncil.org.

- Buy and learn how to use a home fire extinguisher. You local fire department can

Can make recommendations to help you with your purchase and if they don't offer

Training on its use, they can steer you to where you can receive this training.

- Take care while cooking. Learn to cover a small pan fire with a lid. Keep your

Cooking confined to the kitchen and your outdoor cooking away from all overhangs

And flammables.

- Take care when smoking. Try confining your smoking to outdoor areas. If you do

Smoke indoors, use deep, heavy ashtrays. Wet your cigarette butts before you

Discard them. Most importantly, keep matches and lighters where children cannot

Reach them.

- Store all flammables like gasoline and paint thinners in approved containers. Don't

Store them near any flame source like hot water heaters, gas dryers or furnaces.

- Inspect electrical cords, especially extension cords for any fraying or wear. If at all

Possible, do not use extension cords.

- Do not store clothes or paper around your furnace, hot water tank or gas dryer.

Fire deaths are preventable. With education and diligence, you can reduce the risk factor to you and your loved ones. Contact your local fire department. They will be glad to talk to you about fire safety.