Fire Safety Tips for Families

FIRE PREVENTION WEEK IS OCTOBER 4-10, 2020!

This year’s theme, “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!”, focuses on the importance of cooking safely: Cooking is one of the leading causes of home fires and home fire injuries. Here are a few cooking safety tips to help you in your home. Learn more cooking fire safety tips during #FirePreventionWeek https://www.nfpa.org/fpw  

• Keep lookin’ at what you’re cookin’! Carefully monitor food that’s simmering, baking, or roasting. Set a timer to promptly remove it from the oven or stove.
• Keep little ones safe when you’re cooking! Create a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet (1 metre) around the stove and areas where hot food or drinks are being prepared or carried.
•  Turn pot and pan handles away from stove’s edge so that they can’t be easily knocked over. 
• Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it’s cool.
• Make sure smoke alarms are installed in your home at least 10’ away from the cooking area. This will help avoid nuisance alarms triggered by cooking. 
• When in doubt, just get out! If you have any doubts about stopping a small kitchen fire, just get out. Close the doors behind you as you and others in the home leave to help contain the fire.

Every year, the majority of fire deaths in North America happen at home. Home fires today burn faster than ever. In a typical home fire, occupants may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds.

Home Fire Escape Planning

A home escape plan should include the following:

• Two exits from every room in the home – usually a door and a window
• Properly installed and working smoke alarms
• A meeting place outside in front of the home where everyone will meet after they exit
• A call to 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from a cell phone or a neighbor’s phone  

Smoke Alarms

Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.

Cooking

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.

Heating

All heaters need space. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet (1 metre) away from heating equipment.