Home fires are one of the most common calls firefighters receive. There are many causes of house fires that can very easily be prevented. Being prepared and educated on how you can prevent these fires help in keeping you and your loved ones safe.

• Close before you doze. Closing your door before you sleep can help in slowing down or even prevent the spread of fire.
• Turn off heating appliances when you leave them unattended. Never leave space heaters on while you sleep or near anything flammable, this includes yourself.
• Install smoke detectors throughout your home. You would want to make sure to have one in each room where someone sleeps. Also, you should make sure to change the batteries regularly. Easy way to remember this is changing them the same time you change your clocks for daylight savings time (DST).
• You should create an escape plan for your home and practice it. You don’t want to wait so plan ahead. Your escape plan should have a Plan A, B & C. This should include 2 ways out of each room and knowing what to do if you can’t find a way out. Have a designated meeting place. This is especially important so everyone knows the plan and the fire department can confirm whether everyone is out or someone may still be inside.
• Never leave a cooking heating source unattended. If you need to leave the room make sure to have someone else oversee or turn off and remove so to create a safe and nonhazardous zone.
• Unplug items you are not using. Use surge protectors. Excess electricity flowing through items in your home can always be a potential fire hazard. Items can always experience a surge or they can just overheat and cause a fire.The continuous electricity that’s flowing into them provides them with a source for a fire as well. By unplugging these items when you’re not using them and, therefore, not paying attention to them, you can cut down on your chances of a fire.
• Do not smoke in the home. If you do smoke it’s always helpful to smoke in a well ventilated area and to completely put out a cigarette before you dispose of it. If you choose to smoke outside, keeping a watchful eye for stray ashes and ensuring to put the cigarette out entirely before throwing it away can cut down on the risk of it reigniting and catching anything outside your home on fire.

There’s nothing more important than to be prepared and know how to prevent home fires. Our job is to help educate and provide the information to keep you and your family safe from a house fire.

• According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the number one cause of house fires is unattended cooking.
• Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths.
• Every Second Counts in a Home Fire: Practice Your Escape Plan
• Some Facts About Fire
• Fire is Hot!- Room temperatures can be 100 degrees at the floor and rise to well over 600°F near the ceiling.
• Flashover: only a few minutes everything in the room can catch on fire at once 1,100°F.