National Fire Prevention Week

Fire Prevention Week (October 6th to 12th) is sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and was formed after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 in an effort to raise awareness of fire safety to safeguard your home, property and family.

Residential Fire Statistics: In the U.S. there are 350,000+ fires, 3,000+ deaths, 11,000+ injuries and over $9 billion in property damage; the primary causes of house fires are: cooking, candles, dryers, barbecues, fryers, space heaters, faulty wiring & smoking.

The biggest risk of a fire comes from cooking, never leave the kitchen when preparing food, never dump water on a grease fire & keep a fire extinguisher under your sink in your kitchen.

Fires can be prevented by adhering to these best practices:

• Never leave your home when a candle is burning, keep flammable items away from the candle, trim the wick to limit the size of the flame.
• Clean the lint out of your dryer after every cycle & clean the dryer vent annually.
• Never walk away from cooking on the barbecue or fryer, make sure the flame is out after cooking, clean the grill grate to reduce buildup and prevent flare ups.
• Never leave a space heater unattended, keep flammable material away from the heater.
• Ensure your electrical wiring is up to code.
• If you smoke, smoke outside of your home and extinguish your cigarette or cigar in a fireproof ashtray.
• Be careful when using a fireplace or wood burning stove to heat your home, keep flammable items away from the area & have a fire extinguisher nearby.
• Make sure your smoke detectors, heat sensors and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order, replace batteries annually

• Conduct a residential evacuation drill with your family once a year, teach your children the stop, drop, roll technique & how to use a fire extinguisher
• Make sure that you have sufficient homeowners' insurance on your home & your cars to cover the cost of a total loss

Takeaways: This weekend take an hour and make sure all of your smoke alarms are in good working order, then review these fire prevention best practices and conduct a fire evacuation drill with your family. For additional resources visit: Fire Prevention Resources

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