General Fire Safety and Prevention

The best way to be safe from fire is to stop it from happening. Nearly all fires in the home can be prevented. When people learn what causes fires and how to prevent them, they can make their homes much safer. The most common fires happen when people make mistakes using appliances and things that burn. Here are a few of the ways you can prevent fire in your home:

Be ready. There are three things you can do to protect your family. They are simple, but they are very important. Do them now, before fire strikes:
1. Install smoke alarms on all levels. Install both ionization- and photoelectric-type smoke alarms.
2. Test them each month to make sure they are working.
3. Plan and practice home fire drills.

Smoke is your enemy. Smoke is sneaky. It is silent, and it has poison gases in it. Smoke gets very hot, very fast.

Smoke alarms save lives. It doesn’t matter if your home is big or small, or new or old. All homes need smoke alarms that work. Put them near every bedroom. If your home has more than one level, put smoke alarms on every level. For the best detection and notification protection, install both ionization- and photoelectric-type smoke alarms. Some models provide dual coverage. The type will be printed on the box or package.

Your home needs smoke alarms. They will wake you up and give you time to get out safely if there is a fire. You can’t hear smoke. You can‘t smell it when you sleep. Smoke alarms make a very loud sound when smoke gets near them. The sound is loud enough to wake most people. Every home needs to have smoke alarms that are always working. Smoke alarms give you time to get out safely if there is a fire.

Make sure you do these things:

• Have smoke alarms on each level of your home. Install both ionization- and photoelectric- type smoke alarms.
• Test them so you know they are working.
• Put fresh batteries in at least once a year.
• Plan how to get out and stay out. Never go back inside for any reason.
• Walk through your plan.
• Practice your plan with a family fire drill.
• Set a date for your next family fire drill.
• Take steps to prevent fires from starting.
• Always stay in the kitchen when food is cooking.
• Make sure there are at least three feet of space between a space heater and anything that can burn.
• Empty ashtrays often.
• Only adults should burn candles.
• It is too dangerous to leave matches or lighters.

For more information about the Home Safety Council or what you can do to make your home safer, go to www.homesafetycouncil.org.