Four Steps to Fire Safety
Most home fires start between midnight and 6:00 a.m. - precisely when you're least prepared to deal with danger. Take heed now, so you won't be among the 6,000 fire casualties in the U.S. annually:
Be proactive Inside
- Install and maintain smoke detectors, especially in bedrooms, hallways, and your kitchen.
- Check regularly for electrical hazards, such as broken appliances, overloaded plugs or extension cords, and worn or broken electrical cords.
- Get a sturdy fireplace screen and use it always.
- Store matches and lighters above adult shoulder height, out of the kid "strike zone."
- Keep halogen lamps away from drapes, curtains, posters, paper, and bedding. Their bulbs reach as high as 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit!
Check Around Outside
- Store flammable liquids outside your home, or in metal cabinets (their vapors sometimes ignite even at low temperatures).
- Avoid storing items in furnace rooms, or on balconies and porches, where fires could start undetected.
- Clean and repair chimneys, flue pipes, vent connections, and gas vents.
- Put a collapsible, non-flammable ladder on upper floors for emergency escapes.
Have An Emergency Plan
- Establish escape routes from each room and designate a spot outside for everyone to meet.
- Rehearse! Conduct fire drills - exiting through your escape routes (feeling door temperatures before opening them) and staying low to the g r o u n d .
- Practice closing doors behind you as you leave to retard the spread of fire, smoke, and heat.
Get A Multi-Purpose Fire Extinguisher
Fire extinguishers carry symbols on their labels explaining what types of fires they combat - the wrong type could actually spread a fire! Look for multi-purpose extinguishers rated ABC for:
- Class A: wood, paper, fabric, rubber and plastics
- Class B: petroleum-based products or flammable liquids, such as grease, oil, gasoline, tar, paints and cleaning solvents
- Class C: electrical equipment, outlets, etc.
Finally, keep extinguishers handy and service them yearly.
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