Home Fire Safety Tips

Developing a home fire safety plan, teaching it to your family and practicing it often is the best way to ensure that your entire family will be safe in the event of a fire.

Home Fire Safety Checklist

Be sure your home is safe. Keep this checklist handy and run through it at least once every year to be sure your home is prepare in the event of a fire.

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Be sure to place one in the kitchen and one in or near each bedroom.

• Test smoke alarms regularly - mark it on your calendar to check them once per month.

• Change the batteries in all smoke alarms when necessary but make sure to change them at least once per year. Mark it on your calendar so you do not forget.

• Keep fire extinguishers handy. You should have one located in or near the kitchen and another in your bedroom.

• Keep your roof and gutters clear of dry debris that could easily ignite and spread a fire.

• Keep trees pruned so that the branches do not hang over your house and remove dead branches immediately.

Develop a Fire Escape Plan

During an emergency it is very common to feel a sense of panic. The best way to avoid panic and remain calm is to be sure you know exactly what to do. That is why developing a fire escape plan is an important part of home fire safety.

Just as you see in many public buildings, write the plan down and keep it easily accessible. If a fire occurs and you feel yourself beginning to panic, reach for your written plan and simply follow the instructions.

• Determine an escape route from each room in your home. This route should be used if it becomes impossible to exit through the door.

• Teach each member of your family to feel the door or doorknob before opening it. If it is hot, this means there is fire on the other side - do not open the door. Use the alternate escape route.

• Choose a meeting location outside of your home for all family members to gather once they have escaped.

• If you must go through smoke to get out, stay low to the ground and place your shirt over your nose and mouth to prevent inhaling too much smoke.

• Teach kids stop drop and roll. If you catch on fire: stop, immediately drop to the ground and roll around to extinguish the flames

• If you have bedrooms on a second floor you might want to invest in fire ladders that can be thrown out the window to escape.

Home Fire Safety Tips

The most important home fire safety tip is prevention. Taking the time for some simple safety precautions could save your home and family from ever having to deal with disaster.

• Teach children about fire safety early.

• Keep all fire hazards out of the reach of children.

• Use fireplaces carefully and have the chimneys cleaned and inspected regularly - at least once per year.

• If you smoke, avoid doing so near flammable objects like fabric-covered furniture. Never smoke in bed or while lying down.

• Keep flammable objects like kitchen towels away from the stove at all times.

• Avoid wearing loose fitting clothing, especially garments with long, loose sleeves while cooking.

Practice Your Plan

When it comes to home fire safety, practice makes perfect.

The first couple of time you practice your home fire drill warn your family. Remind them of the fire plan and instruct them to act as though there really is a fire and follow the plan.

After a few successful tests, have a home fire drill without warning your family and see how they react. Talk about what they did right and what they could have done differently. It is also a good idea to have a test drill while family members are sleeping to really test their awareness.