Fire Safety

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The good news: Deaths from home fires in the U.S. have trended downward since the 1970s, according to Injury Facts , but even one death from a preventable fire is too many. While fire doesn't discriminate by age, it is the third leading cause of death for children 1 to 14.

When cooking, make fire safety a priority by keeping these tips in mind:

• Be alert; if you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the oven or stovetop
• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, boiling or broiling food
• When simmering, baking or roasting, check the food regularly, remain in the kitchen while cooking and use a timer
• Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop

Heating is the second leading cause of home fires. Follow these tips from the American Red Cross:

• Keep all flammables, like paper, clothing, bedding, drapes or rugs, at least 3 feet from a space heater, stove or fireplace
• Never leave portable heaters and fireplaces unattended; turn off heaters and make sure fireplace embers are extinguished before leaving the room
• If you must use a space heater, place it on a level, nonflammable surface, like ceramic tile, not on a rug or carpet
• Keep children and pets away from space heaters
• When buying a space heater, look for models that shut off automatically if the heater falls over

Other top causes of fire include smoking, electrical problems and candles. To minimize risks:

• Institute a “no smoking” policy in the house
• Check all cords and replace any that are frayed or have bare wires
• Switch to flameless candles
• Keep matches and lighters high and out of children’s reach in a locked cabinet

 About three out of five fire deaths happen in homes without working smoke alarms. Smoke alarms are a key part of a home fire escape plan providing early warning to reduce your risk of dying in a fire. The National Fire Protection Association recommends you:

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas on the ceiling or high on the wall
• Keep smoke alarms away from the kitchen, at least 10 feet from the stove, to reduce false alarms
• Use special alarms with strobe lights and bed shakers for people who are hard of hearing or deaf
• Test smoke alarms monthly
• Replace batteries in your smoke alarm and  carbon monoxide detector annually
• Replace smoke alarms that are 10 or more years old

A home fire is reported every 88 seconds. Once the smoke alarm sounds, a fire can spread quickly, leaving only a minute or two to escape. That's why it's so important to have a home escape plan.

Start by drawing a map for your home and follow these guidelines from the NFPA:

• Plan two ways to escape from each room
• Make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily
• Identify secondary routes: a window onto an adjacent roof or a collapsible ladder from a second floor window
• If you live in a multi-story building, plan to use the stairs – never the elevator
• Designate an outside meeting place a safe distance from the house

Everyone – including children – need to know your family escape plan. The National Fire Protection Association indicates 71% of Americans have a home fire escape plan but only 47% have practiced it. Practice your fire drill with everyone in the house at night and during the day, twice a year. Remember to:

• Practice getting out with eyes closed, crawling low to the floor and keeping your mouth covered
• Practice closing doors behind you
• Practice how to “stop, drop and roll” if your clothes catch on fire
• Practice testing door handles to see if they are hot before opening them
• Teach children never to hide and how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them

Always put your safety first; if you are not confident in your ability to use a fire extinguisher, get out and call 9-1-1. The American Red Cross cautions you to evaluate the situation and ensure:

• Everyone has left or is leaving the home
• The fire department has been called
• The fire is small, not spreading, and there is not much smoke
• Your back is to an exit you can use quickly
• You remember the acronym PASS:
  Pull the pin.
  Aim low at the base of the fire.
  Squeeze the handle slowly.
  Sweep the nozzle side to side.