Avoid Fire Danger In Your Home
Cooking is the leading cause of house fires. In the kitchen:
- keep a fire extinguisher handy;
- avoid wearing loose clothing that may catch fire;
- keep flammable cooking materials away from the stove;
- supervise older children working in the kitchen and keep small children out altogether;
- shut off stove burners when you leave the room, even if it’s only for a minute;
- turn pot handles inward so they can’t be easily knocked down; and
- don’t cook while intoxicated.
A second common source of house fires is your clothes dryer. Lint gets trapped in the vents and can catch fire. Remember to turn off your dryer before leaving the house.
To keep your home safe, also:
- avoid smoking indoors;
- keep space heaters more than three feet away from flammable possessions;
- turn off space heaters and blow out candles and oil lamps when you leave a room; and
- moisten matches before tossing them in the trash.
- check smoke alarms regularly, replace the batteries at least once a year and replace fire alarms that are over ten years old.
Make the extra effort to fireproof your home. Your family, investment and future are worth it!