Most home fires are preventable, but sometimes common sense
isn't so common. According to the National Fire Protection Association, it's
not too early to protect your loved ones and your home from fire damage, by
simply following sensible suggestions.
1. Have your furnace checked. It's worth the money to hire a
professional to inspect and service your furnace once a year. If it's going to
conk out, it's better to know trouble is coming.
2. Have your chimneys and vents checked. Fireplaces produce
creosote which can ignite. If you light fires frequently, you need a chimney
sweep service once a year. When you burn wood, make sure it's dry and seasoned
so that it produces more flame and less smoke.
3. Test smoke alarms. Make sure batteries are fresh. Place
smoke alarms in the kitchen, laundry room and in bedrooms.
4. Cover the fireplace with a screen. Tempered glass or a
metal screen helps protect sparks from leaving the fireplace. Even so, make
sure that children and pets sit at least three feet away when you light a fire
in the fireplace.
5. Beware of lit candles. Candles can set the mood for
relaxation, and that's how they get forgotten or knocked over by kids or pets.
Light candles only when you're around to watch them and blow them out when
you're ready to leave the room. Ditto for cigarettes, pipes, etc. If you're
going to smoke, try to do it outside.
6. Beware of space heaters. The name should give you a clue
-- space heaters need space. Like fireplaces, people and pets should not be
allowed to sit any closer than three feet. Don't put space heaters near
curtains, tablecloths or other fluttering fabrics. Make sure the space heaters
you buy have automatic shut-offs before reaching dangerous temperatures
7. Know how to put out kitchen fires quickly. Water doesn't
help a greasefire, which can get out of control. Keep salt and baking soda on
hand to sprinkle liberally on pan fires. Keep lids handy to put on top of pots
and pans that get too hot.
8. Practice an escape route. Businesses have fire drills,
your family should, too. Teach your family to crawl to the nearest exit from
every room. Show them how to drop and roll if their clothes were ever to catch
on fire.
9. Fire extinguishers can be life-savers. Store one under
the kitchen sink, and in the hall closet near the bedrooms. Make sure you use
the correct setting -- A for paper, wood and trash; B for grease and flammable
liquids; C for small electrical fires.
10. All household members should know 911. You've heard the
stories -- the four-year old who saved his grandmother's life with a 911 call.
In a fire, every person in the home can be a potential hero if they know what
to do
