You won’t be able to prevent every situation or cause for fires. Some things are just out of our control, but make sure you are doing what you can to prevent any fire damage to your home or office.
Smoking
Smoking is one of the leading causes of house fires. The best thing to do for the health and safety of you and your family is not to smoke at all. However, if you do smoke you should consider the following:
- Don’t smoke in the house
- If you do smoke in the garage, make sure there isn’t any flammable material close to you
- If you smoke outside, ensure there’s no flammable debris that could catch fire from a spark
- Always make sure you dispose of your cigarette butt safely
Kitchen
- Keep pot-handles turned in, not hanging over the edge, to reduce accidents
- Wear close fitting clothing while cooking
- Be sure any flammable material is kept at a safe distance from the stove
- Keep your kitchen clean, free of any greasy mess including the hood and fan filters
If you have a small pan fire
- Wear an oven mitt
- Turn off the burner
- Slide a lid or a cookie pan over the fire to cut off oxygen
- Remove towels and other flammable material from the area
- Leave pan covered and in place
Bedroom
- Don’t smoke in bed
- Keep escape ladders in upper-level bedrooms
- Install a smoke alarm above each sleeping area
- Put out candles or burners before sleeping
Living room
- Install, and check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
- Remove stacks of newspaper or other materials that could be a hazard
- Keep space heaters at least one yard away from anything that can burn or melt
- Make sure all light fixtures are outfitted with the proper wattage bulbs
