10 Tips for Fire Safety

(For more fire safety information go to nfpa.org/safety)

1. Watch your cooking: Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you must leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
2. Smoke outside: Ask smokers to smoke outside. Have sturdy, deep ashtrays for smokers. Before you throw away butts and ashes, make sure they are out and dousing in water or sand is the best way to do that.
3. Inspect for electrical hazards: Replace cords that are cracked or damaged, have broken plugs or have loose connections. Have your home electrical system inspected by a qualified professional.
4. Have a home fire escape plan: Make a home fire escape plan with two ways out of every room. Practice it at least twice a year.
5. Give space heaters space: Keep fixed and portable space heaters at least 3 feet from anything that can burn. Turn off heaters when you leave the room or go to sleep.
6. Keep matches and lighters up high and out of the reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet.
7. Install smoke alarms: Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Interconnect smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
8. Use Battery-Operated Candles: Keep lit candles at least one foot from anything that can burn. Blow out candles when you leave the room or go to sleep.
9. Test Smoke alarms: Test smoke alarms at least once a month. Replace any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old. Check the back of the smoke alarm for the date.
10. Install Sprinklers: If you are building or remodeling your home, consider installing a home fire sprinkler system. If moving into an apartment or condominium building, make sure common areas and individual apartments are sprinklered. Sprinklers can limit a fire and may even extinguish it in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive.

For more information go to NFPA.ORG/SafetyTips. For Sparky’s home checklist, go to Sparky.org/activities.

National Fire Protection Association

One Batterymarch Park

Quincy, MA  02169-7471

Disclaimer: this information was taken from the National Fire Protection Association pamphlet. Please call or email them for more information on their programs or check out their websites.