Fire Safety Tips

Deaths from fires and burns are the third leading cause of fatal home injury. In 2009, fire claimed the lives of 2,565 people and injured another 13,050, not including firefighters. Make sure you or a loved one doesn’t become another fire statistic.

Here are some safety tips:

• Never leave a candle unattended.
• Clean lint from the dryer air vent at least twice a year.
• Don’t leave food cooking on stove.
• Keep towels and potholders away from the flame on the stove.
• Don’t wear long-sleeved clothing when cooking.
• Never smoke in bed or leave burning cigarettes unattended.
• Have the chimney cleaned regularly.
• Never put space heaters near things that can catch fire like paper, drapes or upholstered chairs.
• Lock up matches and lighters so they are out of children’s reach.
• Install fire alarms on every floor, even the basement, and especially where people sleep.
• Use fire alarms with hush buttons so that you can stop false alarms quickly. Also make sure it uses long-lasting lithium batteries. If the fire alarm just uses regular batteries, remember to check and change them regularly, like each Thanksgiving and Memorial Day.
• Test alarms on the first of the month to make sure they work.
• Draw up a family escape plan and practice it every 6 months. The plan should have two exits for each room. Also decide where you would meet after a fire, i.e, the corner fire hydrant or neighbor’s tree.
• If you do put up a cut Christmas tree, water it daily.
• If possible, retrofit sprinklers into the home.
• Don’t run cables under carpeting.
• Don’t overload an electrical socket with too many plugs.

Tips courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.