Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States, starting two out of every five fires. Heating is the second-highest cause, followed by intentional fires and electrical systems/lighting equipment. Smoking is the fifth highest cause, but is the leading cause of home fire deaths. Candles are also a significant cause and are responsible for approximately 35 home fires being reported every day.
Cooking Fires
To prevent a cooking fire, follow these tips from the National Fire Protection Association site, www.nfpa.org:
- Be on the alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the oven or stove.
- Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you need to leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the oven or stove.
- If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly. Remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
- Keep your stovetop clear of anything that can catch fire, including oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains.
If a cooking fire starts:
- Be prepared. Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking on the stovetop. If a small grease fire occurs, smother it by sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the stove and leave the pan covered until it has completely cooled.
- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
- Whenever fighting a fire, be sure others leave and that you have a clear way out.
- If the fire continues or grows, get out immediately! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
- Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you leave.
Heating Equipment
To prevent a heating equipment fire:
- Consider replacing older area or space heaters with new ones that turn off automatically when overheated or tipped. Keep them at least three feet away from anything flammable.
- Have furnaces and chimneys professionally cleaned and inspected every year.
- All fireplaces should have a sturdy screen. Never use flammable liquids to start a fire in a fireplace. Allow ashes to cool completely and use a metal bucket for disposal.
Electrical Systems & Equipment
To prevent an electrical fire:
- Have your home inspected by a qualified electrician, especially when purchasing an older home.
- Use a qualified electrician when having electrical work done.
- Protect your home against arc faults. An arc fault occurs when an electrical short produces an arc: intensely hot sparks that can set fire to nearby flammable materials. Arcs often happen in appliance or extension cords that have become frayed or cracked. To prevent arc faults, have Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) installed in your home. These devices look and work like conventional circuit breakers. When an AFCI detects an arc, it shuts off the circuit.
- Power surges can damage appliances and even cause fires. Protect your home with a two-tiered surge protection system: a whole house surge protection device (SPD) on the main electrical service to the home, and point-of-use SPDs for all valuable electronics and appliances.
Note: According to the National Fire Protection Association, effective Jan. 1, 2008, the National Electric Code made AFCI installation a requirement in the majority of circuits in new residential construction.
Candles
Each year, candle fires account for hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage and hundreds of unnecessary injuries and deaths. To help protect your family, please observe these safety tips:
- Only burn candles under constant supervision.
- Keep burning candles a minimum of one foot away in all directions from flammable and combustible items.
- Keep candle wicks trimmed to within ¼ inch from the top of the candle.
- Do not allow candles to burn down to the bottom of their container.
- Extinguish all candles before leaving the house or when going to bed at night.
- Place candles in safe locations, out of the reach of children or pets.
- Only place candles on secure furniture that is unlikely to tip over.
For more information, search for “candle safety tips” at www.nfpa.org.
Smoking
To prevent a smoking accident from causing a fire, the U.S. Fire Administration recommends that you:
- Use deep, wide, sturdy ashtrays. Ashtrays should be set on something stable and hard to ignite.
- Make sure butts and ashes are out before disposing of them.
- Never smoke in a home where medical oxygen is used.
- Don’t smoke if you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken over-the-counter or prescription medications.
- Choose fire-safe cigarettes if they are available in your state. They usually go out by themselves if not actively smoked. Go to www.firesafecigarettes.org to learn more.
Be prepared in case of fire
Plan escape routes:
- Plan at least two ways to get out of any room.
- Agree on a meeting place outside where everyone can gather.
Get the most protection out of your smoke alarm
Alarm type
- Battery-powered alarms may use a nine-volt battery or 10-year lithium battery.
- Hard-wired smoke alarms operate on the home’s electrical system and include a battery backup in case of power failure.
- For the hearing-impaired, smoke alarms with an audible alarm and bright flashing lights are available.
- Make sure your alarm is listed or approved by an independent testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
- Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they are 10 years old. They should also be replaced whenever they do not respond properly.
Installation
- To install a battery-powered alarm, all you need is a drill and screwdriver. Always follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
- Hard-wired alarms should be installed by a qualified electrician. All hard-wired smoke alarms should be interconnected: if one alarm is activated, all alarms will sound.
- Install a smoke alarm in each bedroom.
- Never install a smoke alarm too close to windows, doors, vents, or ceiling fans where drafts could blow smoke away from an alarm.
- If you have questions about where to install your alarms, contact your local fire department. Many departments will conduct home smoke alarm inspections for free or a minimal fee.
Testing/Maintenance
- If you have stand-alone battery-powered alarms, test them once a month and replace the batteries once a year.
- Make sure that everyone in your household knows the sound of the alarms.
- Never paint any part of a smoke alarm.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when cleaning your alarms. Dust and debris can usually be removed by using a vacuum cleaner attachment.
Have a fire extinguisher handy
To operate a fire extinguisher, remember the word PASS:
Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you, and release the locking mechanism.
Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
Sweep the nozzle from side to side.
- Select a multi-purpose Class ABC extinguisher that is large enough to put out a small fire, but not so heavy as to be difficult to handle.
- Read the instructions that come with the fire extinguisher and become familiar with its parts and operation before a fire breaks out. Local fire departments or fire equipment distributors often offer hands-on fire extinguisher training.
- Install fire extinguishers close to an exit and keep your back to a clear exit when you use the device so you can make an easy escape if the fire cannot be controlled. If the room fills with smoke, leave immediately.
- Know when to go. Fire extinguishers are one element of a fire response plan, but the primary element is safe escape.
- Remember that each extinguisher must be serviced annually and may need to be recharged.
Consider a home fire sprinkler system
- Residential fire sprinkler systems provide added protection above smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.
- Fire sprinklers immediately respond to a fire while it is still small—controlling the spread of deadly heat, flames, and toxic smoke whether or not the occupants have appropriately responded to the signaling smoke alarm.
- These sprinklers are smaller than commercial or industrial sprinklers and can fit in with almost any décor.
- During home construction or remodeling, a home fire sprinkler system requires minimal extra piping and labor.
- A home fire sprinkler system may qualify you for a discount on your homeowners insurance premium.
Safety can be simple
Be sure to take the basic preventative steps outlined here, and file this sheet away for future reference. Just by being aware of common fire hazards and keeping an eye out for problems, you could save your home and possessions from serious damage.
For more information or insurance coverage: please call the Mark Lewis Agency at: (585) 343-4959 or stop by -- we're located at: 8331 Lewiston Road, Batavia, NY. Visit us online at: http://www.marklewisagency.com/
