safety and survival begin with everyone in your household being prepared. Follow the safety advice below from the Home Safety Council to reduce the chance of fire in your home: Prevent Fires Caused by Cooking:
- Always stay in the kitchen while cooking.
- Keep things that can burn, such as dishtowels, paper or plastic bags, and curtains at least three feet away from the range top.
- Before cooking, roll up sleeves and use oven mitts. Loose-fitting clothes can touch a hot burner and catch on fire.
- Always stay by the grill when cooking. Your grill may stay hot for a long time. Keep children and pets away.
- Keep grills at least ten feet away from other objects, including the house and any shrubs or bushes.
Prevent Fires Caused by Matches & Lighters:
- Many young children are badly burned or die playing with matches and lighters.
- Store matches and lighters in a locked cabinet.
- If you must keep matches or lighters in your jacket or purse, put them in a place where children cannot see or touch them.
Prevent Fires Caused by Heating:
- Space Heaters - Space heaters need space. Keep them at least three feet away from things that can burn, such as curtains or stacks of newspaper. Always turn off heaters when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Furnaces - Have a service person inspect chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves and central furnaces once a year. Have them cleaned when necessary.
- Fireplaces and Wood Stoves - Keep things that can burn away from your fireplace and keep a glass or metal screen in front of your fireplace. Creosote logs can be used to help reduce the build-up of creosote in fireplaces. Check labels to make sure the log has been tested and approved by UL. Even if you use creosote logs, fireplaces should still be inspected by a professional each year.
Prevent Fires Caused by Candles:
- Only light candles when an adult is in the room. Always use stable, candle holders made of material that won't catch fire, such as metal, glass, etc.
- Blow out candles when adults leave the room.
