Fire Safety Tips

A home fire is unexpected. A resident may have less than two minutes to realize a fire danger and act accordingly to escape to safety. Being prepared with a fire emergency plan before a fire occurs can help save lives and protect property. Being prepared starts by understanding what causes fires and what can be done to help prevent fires.

Many home fires originate from everyday living activities, such as cooking. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking related accidents are the most common cause of home fires and related fire injuries.

Cooking-related safety precautions include:

• Stay in the kitchen when cooking. Turn off the burner or oven if you leave the kitchen even for a short time.
• Use all cooking appliances according to the manufacturer’s directions.
• Turn off burners, oven and appliances as soon as food preparation is done.
• When cooking, keep towels, oven mitts, food packaging, and other combustible materials away from hot surfaces.
• Be alert to the danger of loose-fitting clothing catching fire from a hot burner.
• Have a children and pet free zone of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
• Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove so they are not reachable by small children.
• Do not throw water on a grease fire.
• If a fire starts in a pan, turn off the burner and smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan. Leave the pan covered until the pan is completely cooled.
• If a fire starts in the oven, turn off the oven and keep the oven door closed.
• Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

Particularly in the winter months, heating-related fires cause serious injury to residents and damage or destroy property. Fires caused by bedding or other combustible materials placed too close to portable space heaters are the most common types of heating-related home fires.

Heating-related equipment safety precautions include:

• Do not store combustible materials close to any type of heater; Baseboard heaters need 1 foot of clearance and portable space heaters need 3 feet of clearance.
• Portable heaters should be equipped with tip-over switches or thermal cutoff switches.
• Portable heaters should be plugged directly into a wall outlet; do not use extension cords.
• Do not use the stove or oven to heat a home.
• Propane heaters should never be used inside the home due to carbon monoxide danger (CO poisoning).
• Shut off a portable heater when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Furniture should be kept a minimum of 18 inches from fireplaces, wood stoves and heaters.
• Keep combustibles away from the front of the fireplace.
• Use a fireplace screen or keep the fireplace door closed to prevent embers from escaping the fireplace.
• Do not store kindling, wood, or newspapers near a fireplace or woodstove.
• Do not burn trash in the fireplace.
• Have chimneys, fireplaces, wood stoves, and central furnaces serviced annually.

Smoking materials are the leading cause of home fire deaths. Many smoking related fires start in the bedroom. Smoking in bed increases the risks of fire death or injury from blankets or other combustible materials catching fire from a lit cigarette. Smoking materials fires can be prevented. It is strongly recommended that residents do not smoke inside the home.

Smoking safety precautions

If you do smoke inside the home:

• Never smoke in a home where medical oxygen is used, even if it is turned off. Oxygen causes materials to ignite more easily and makes fire burn hotter and at a faster rate than normal.
• Be aware that if you are drowsy, have taken medication or used alcohol, you may not be able to prevent or escape from a fire.

If you go outside to smoke at home:

• Use a deep sturdy ashtray placed away from combustible materials.
• Douse cigarette butts and ashes in water or sand to make sure they are completely out.
• Do not discard cigarettes in vegetation such as leaves, dried grass or other landscaping materials that could ignite easily.

An open flame from a candle is dangerous. More than half of candle fires are caused when combustible materials are too close to the open flame. The winter holiday season is peak period for candle-related fires.

Candle safety precautions include:

• Never leave a burning candle unattended.
• Keep candles at least one foot away from curtains drapes, clothing, bedding and other combustible materials.
• Extinguish all candles when leaving a room or before going to sleep.
• Use only candle holders that are heat resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.
• Keep matches and lighters in a safe place where children can’t reach them.

Faulty electrical appliances or electrical malfunctions are leading causes of many home fires.

Electrical and appliances safety precautions include:

• Use appliances only as directed by the manufacturer.
• Check appliances regularly to make sure they are operating properly.
• Inspect appliances and extension cords for frayed or damaged cords.
• Use tamper resistant outlets.
• Don’t overload outlets or extension cords.
• Use light bulbs that match fixture recommended wattage.
• Extension cords should not be run under carpet or rugs or across high-traffic areas.
• If an appliance has a 3 prong plug, use the appliance only in a three slot outlet; never force appliance plug to fit into a 2 slot outlet or extension cord.
• Use ground fault circuit interrupters in all electrical receptacles in kitchens, bathrooms and other wet areas.
• Use a qualified electrician to make any changes to electrical services.

Clothes Dryer safety precautions include:

• Inspect the clothes dryer for lint build-up before use; clean after every dryer load.
• Check hoses for bends or obstructions that can block air flow.
• Clothing or bedding that made contact with flammable liquids should not be placed in the dryer even if previously washed.
• Never leave dryer running while out of the room, sleeping, or overnight.

Other fire safety precautions include:

• Any flammable liquids, such as cleaning fluids, paints, gasoline, or other highly flammable materials should be stored away from a heat source, preferably in an outside, well-ventilated area or storage building.
• Keep furnace and water heater closets free of storage items; never store combustible items in closets.
• Keep exits, stairways, and hallways clear of obstructions.
• The street address, including house numbers, building numbers, or unit numbers should be clearly marked and easy visible for the fire department to find.

There is a greater likelihood of a home fire occurring at rental properties particularly at multi-family properties. Accordingly, landlords can take additional steps to prevent fire risks and safeguard tenants and property. The landlord’s lease agreement, rental rules and regulations, and new tenant orientation are good opportunities to help educate tenants on fire safety, evacuation procedures in the event of fire or natural disaster, and general emergency procedures and contact numbers.

Regular property inspections should always be conducted by the landlord for health, fire, and safety compliances. In most jurisdictions, there are requirements by local codes for annual fire safety inspections of rental properties.

Most landlords have taken safety precautions against smoking fire risks by prohibiting smoking in the rental unit. The lease agreement should clearly detail the no-smoking policy and how smoking violations will be enforced.

Install smoke alarms on every level of a home including the basement, inside the bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Interconnect smoke alarms throughout the home so that when one alarm sounds, all alarms sound. Landlords should consider installing both ionization and photoelectric alarms or dual sensor alarms for best protection. For additional protection and as required in most jurisdictions, at least one carbon monoxide (CO) alarm should be installed in the rental unit to detect high concentrations of carbon monoxide gas and alert tenants to take appropriate actions for safety.

At a minimum, there should be a fire extinguisher in the rental unit for use in the event of a kitchen fire. If the home has multiple levels, a landlord should provide a fire extinguisher on each level of the home. An extinguisher can help control small fires and could prevent fire damage to the whole structure. In some jurisdictions, there may be a requirement by local ordinance that landlords install and routinely inspect fire extinguishers in the rental unit.  Tenants should be shown the location of extinguishers and instructed in their use during the tenant move-in property inspection.

If the rental property is a multi-family property, a landlord should prepare an escape/emergency plan detailing clearly marked emergency exits and locations of fire safety equipment including fire alarms and sprinkler systems. A landlord should review the plan with new tenants and post copies of the escape route and emergency procedures and contact numbers in each unit and common areas. As part of safety procedures, a landlord should inspect windows that can serve as exits, making sure windows can be opened, screens readily removable, and tenants know how to unlock window security/safety bars.

A landlord should require tenants to carry renters insurance as a condition for tenancy. Tenants should be reminded that the landlord’s insurance does not cover damage or destruction of the tenant’s personal property in the event of an emergency.

Evacuation of a building

This can be covered during tenant move-in orientation but a fire safety handout can help remind tenants of what to do if they need to evacuate a rental unit in case of a major structural fire.

In the event of a fire:

• Don’t panic.
• Stay calm.
• Don’t assume someone else has called fire department.
• Get out of the building, then call 911.
• Tell firemen if you know of anyone trapped in the building and give approximate location if possible.

To escape a fire

• Test any closed doors with the back of your hand to feel for heat. If the door is cold, slowly open it to ensure that the fire or smoke is not blocking your escape.
• If the door is hot, do not open the door. Find another way out such as a window.
• If you can’t escape through a window, signal your location to firefighters by hanging a light colored cloth outside the window.
• Stuff cracks around the door with towels, rags, bedding, or tape and cover vents to keep smoke out.
• Leave possessions in order to get to safety quickly.
• Keep a piece of clothing or a towel over your nose to filter out the smoke and prevent yourself from passing out. Smoke rises, so more breathable air will be low to the ground. Crawl low under the smoke.
• Close all doors as you leave each room to keep the fire from spreading.
• Don’t delay in getting out. Choose the safest and closest exit.
• Once outside don’t go back in.

During a fire, if your clothes catch fire:

• Stop, drop and roll until fire is extinguished.
• Smother flames with blanket or towel.
• Use cool water to treat burn immediately for 3-5 minutes.
• Cover burns with clean dry cloth.
• Get medical help right away.

While a fire is not entirely preventable, with appropriate fire safety education, residents can help reduce the risk of a home fire. The best recommendation is to follow the three P’s, prepare, prevent, and practice for fire safety.

This entry was posted on November, 2019 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.