Protect Your Family From Fire Hazards

Deaths from fires and burns are the fifth most common cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States, according to a 2005 report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Fire Protection Association reports that in 2006, fires killed more Americans than all natural disasters combined, with home fires comprising the major cause of fire deaths. You can do many things to minimize fire risks for you and your family:

Around the House:

• Install a safety smoke alarm system in your home. Make sure that a smoke alarm is on every floor of your home. Smoke and toxic gases, rather than burns, cause most victims of fire to lose their lives. About 50 percent of deaths caused by fires at home occur at homes that do not possess smoke alarms.
• Check regularly to make certain that the smoke detector is working effectively. Remember to change the batteries every six months.
• Keep exits clear in every room to facilitate a quick escape in case of fire.
• Keep flammable items in their proper containers and properly stored away from anything that generates heat or a flame.
• Affix emergency phone numbers on all telephones.
• Check electric appliances and their cords for damage or fraying and replace if necessary.
• Do not overload your electric circuits.
• Do not dispose of cigarette butts or other recent ashes in a wastebasket. To be safe, wet them first before discarding.
• If using a portable space heater, do not leave it unattended or on while asleep. Keep portable heaters at least 3 feet from a wall or any item that is flammable.
• Use metal screens or built-in glass doors on all fireplaces to contain fires and to prevent sparks from flying into the room.
• Keep carpets, rugs and other flammable materials away from the fireplace hearth.

In the Kitchen:

• When you are cooking, do not leave the kitchen unattended. Most kitchen fires occur due to inattention.
• Keep your stove top clean to avoid grease build up near the flame. Do not leave towels or other flammable objects near the stove.
• Have oven mitts handy to prevent burns and to retrieve items that might catch fire.
• If a pot catches fire, immediately cover with a lid and turn off the burner.

Prepare your Family:

• Keep matches and lighters away from children by storing them in locked cabinets. Teach them not to stay too close to a fireplace or stove; not to play with electrical outlets and equipment; and not to put cloth or other flammable items over lamps.
• Inform family members that in case of fire they should get out of the house immediately and then call 911 to report the fire.
• Develop fire escape plans for your family to use, decide a preferred and an alternate evacuation route from each room in a burning home. Conduct fire alarm tests a few times each year. Point out appropriate fire exits in the home. Tell family members that, in the event of a fire, they should check to see if the door handle from which they want to exit door is hot. If so, they may have to try an alternate departure route.
• If there are security bars on windows, each family member should know in advance of a fire how to open those windows.
• If you live in a building with an elevator, warn family members not to use the elevator during a fire in order to escape. Instead, they should use the fire escape or stairway.
• Have family members understand that if they are encountering smoke in a room and are trying to escape, they should crawl under the smoke in order to leave the room, since smoke rises.
• Take your children to the fire station when there is a fire prevention program that allows youngsters (and adults) to participate. Tell children that firefighters can help them in a fire emergency. Have children talk with firefighters about fire prevention.
• Ground television antennas to conduct lightning away from the house.
• Make sure all doors and windows are easily accessible, especially for children and the elderly. If special locks are installed, train all household members how to unlock them in case of a fire.