How to prevent home fires
Home fires are preventable. The following are simple steps that each of us can take to prevent a tragedy.
Cooking Safety Tips
- Stay in the kitchen when you’re frying, grilling, or broiling food.
- If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- Wear short, close-fitting, or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
- Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of three feet around the stove.
- Position barbecue grills at least 10 feet away from siding and deck railings.
- Keep grills out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
Smoking Safety Tips
- Smoke outside, and completely stub out butts in an ashtray or a can filled with sand.
- Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away. Never toss hot cigarette butts or ashes in the trash can.
- Never smoke in a home where oxygen is used, even if it’s turned off. Oxygen can be explosive and makes fire burn hotter and faster.
- Be alert, and don’t smoke in bed! If you’re sleepy, you’ve been drinking, or you’ve taken medicine that makes you drowsy, put your cigarette out first.
