Fire Prevention & Safety

Be ready before the alarm sounds

Fire can spread quickly, leaving little time to react. Knowing what to do before an emergency can make a critical difference.

Make fire safety part of your family’s routine: maintain working alarms, know your exits, practice your escape plan and make sure everyone in your home knows where to meet outside.

Remember: You may have only 1–2 minutes to escape. Know your exits. Practice your plan. Close doors behind you.

Smoke & CO Alarms

Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms provide an early warning when something is wrong. Test your alarms regularly and make sure everyone in your home can hear them.

Check the manufacture date on the back of your alarms and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for replacement, testing and battery maintenance.

Never disable an alarm or remove its battery because of nuisance alarms. If an alarm is sounding, treat it seriously and determine why.

Plan Your Escape

Every household should know how to get out before an emergency happens.

Have two ways out of every room whenever possible.
Keep doors, windows, hallways and other exits clear and accessible.
Choose an outdoor meeting place a safe distance from your home.
Make sure everyone in your household knows where that meeting place is.
Practice your escape plan together.

An escape plan doesn’t need to be complicated. Talk about it with everyone who lives in your home and practice it so the plan is familiar before you ever need it.

Once you’re outside, stay outside. Never go back into a burning building. Tell arriving firefighters if someone may still be inside.

Close the Door

A simple closed door can make an important difference during a fire.

Close bedroom doors when sleeping.
Close doors behind you when escaping, when it is safe to do so.
Never wedge, disable or prop open a fire door.

Make closing bedroom doors part of your family’s nighttime routine, and teach everyone in your household to close doors behind them as they leave during a fire.

Kitchen Safety

The kitchen is one place where a few good habits can prevent an emergency.

Stay nearby when cooking and keep anything that can burn away from the stove and other heat sources. Keep cooking areas clear and avoid leaving food unattended while it is being heated.

If a fire starts, don’t take unnecessary risks trying to fight it yourself. Get everyone out, stay out and call 911 from a safe location.

Lithium-Ion Battery Safety

Lithium-ion batteries power many of the devices we use every day. Damaged batteries, improper chargers and unsafe charging can create a fire hazard.

Use only the battery and charger designed for your device.
Do not continue charging after the battery is fully charged.
Charge devices away from exits and anything that can burn.
Keep batteries away from extreme heat and direct sunlight.
Never put lithium-ion batteries in household trash.
Stop using a battery if it becomes hot, swollen, leaking, smoking, discolored or develops an unusual odor.

If a battery shows signs of damage or overheating, stop using it and move away from the device.

Propane Safety

Propane tanks and systems require proper placement, maintenance and attention.

Keep it outside. Keep propane tanks outdoors and away from windows, doors and ignition sources.
Keep it clear. Keep leaves, grass, snow, debris and other combustible materials away from the tank.
Inspect it. Have your propane system inspected and serviced regularly.
Check after storms. Make sure vents and valves remain clear.
Watch the pilot. A pilot light that repeatedly goes out may indicate a problem.

If you smell gas or suspect a propane leak, leave the area and call 911 from a safe location.