Fire Safety: Home

The best way of surviving a fire is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here are some tips:

• Keep your home free of oily rags and trash build-up. Gasoline and other flammable liquids should be stored in approved metal safety cans.
• Cleaning materials should be kept in a ventilated area, away from any heat source. Vapors given off by these substances can ignite when they come in contact with a heat source, such as a pilot light.
• Check lamps, appliance cords and light switches to make sure there is no faulty wiring. Never overload electrical circuits.
• Allow adequate ventilation space around televisions, stereos and other entertainment equipment.
• Teach your children not to play with matches. Keep matches in a closed metal container away from heat sources and out of the reach of children.
• Never smoke in bed. Carelessly discarded cigarettes are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States.
• Remove all weeds, tree branches and litter from your yard.
• If you have a fireplace, make sure it is properly screened and install a spark arrestor with at least a half-inch mesh on the chimney.
• Daily household trash should be kept in a covered can away from any heat source. Recycle newspapers frequently.
• Be a careful cook. Never wear long sleeves when you cook -- they can catch fire. Keep the handles of your pots turned inward, so the pots can't be knocked over. Never put foil or other metals in a microwave oven.