Fire Safety Essentials
- Working smoke detectors in all bedrooms, outside the bedroom areas, and at least one detector on each level of the house. Test the detector every month and change the batteries twice a year.
- ABC or ABCD fire extinguisher in the kitchen and/or workshop area.
- Emergency exit plan, with two ways out from each room and a safe meeting place outdoors.
A working smoke detector can triple your chances of surviving a fire. A clean, properly installed smoke detector can give you valuable minutes of early warning in an emergency.
Smoke Detectors
Smoke rises so place your smoke detector on or near the ceiling. Make sure you place your detector at least three feet away from any air vents so smoke does not get blown away before the detector can sense it.
Check your batteries. Test your detector once a month, and replace your batteries twice a year even if they still work. An easy way to remember in the spring and fall is to change the batteries when you change your clocks. To test most detectors, you either push a button or shine a light. It may not be necessary to replace some of the newer 10 year Lithium batteries which are commonly found in newer smoke alarms. Never disconnect your smoke detector or “borrow” the batteries for something else.
Again, follow the manufacturer’s directions. If your detector “chirps” it is time to replace the batteries. If you rent, ask your landlord how to check the batteries and maintain the detector when you move in. Put at least one detector in each sleeping area.
One detector per sleeping area is the absolute minimum. If all the bedrooms in your home share a single hallway, place the smoke detector in the hall outside the rooms. You should have an additional detector outside every bedroom that does not share a common hallway. If you sleep with the door closed, put another detector inside the bedroom. On floors without bedrooms, place detectors in or near living areas. A good place for a smoke detector in a two-story house is at the top of the stairs since smoke from downstairs will rise along that path. Follow the manufacturer’s directions. The instructions will show you exactly where and how to install your smoke detector.
Keep your smoke detectors clean. When you clean your home, remember your detectors. Smoke detectors work by sensing very small smoke particles in the air. They can not detect the particles if the chambers are clogged with dust, or if they have been painted over. A once-a-week dusting or vacuuming will help to keep the detector’s chambers clear.
Practice escape routes. A smoke detector can give you enough time to get out. If you have young children or if you live with someone who needs assistance, discuss plans to help them get out. Practice and discuss fire safety with your family. A smoke detector will not prevent a fire, but it can give you an extra few minutes in an emergency that could save your family's lives. Use the time to get out of your house and gather your family in a safe, central location.
If you can not afford a smoke detector and you live in the Groveland Fire Department's response area call us and we will donate and install a smoke detector for you.
Home Fire Safety
Living Areas & Bedrooms
- Matches and lighters stored out of reach of children.
- Use only large ashtrays (Small ashtrays are too dangerous.)
- Empty ashtrays frequently (but make sure that all signs of heat and burning are gone).
- Fireplace kept screened and cleaned regularly.
- Replace worn or frayed appliance cords and extension cords.
- No extension cords run under rugs or carpets or looped over nails and other sharp objects that could cause them to fray.
- Sufficient air space around TV, stereo, and other electronic equipment to prevent overheating.
- Heaters kept three feet away from curtains, furniture, and papers.
Kitchen Safety
Check your kitchen for these safety blunders:
- Matches stored out of the reach of children.
- No overloaded outlets or extension cords.
- No curtains or towel racks close to the stove.
- Flammable liquids (cleaning fluids, contact adhesives, etc.) or aerosols stored away from the stove or other heat source. (Remember, even a pilot light can set vapors on fire.)
- No attractive or frequently used items stored above the stove where someone could get burned reaching for them (especially small children in search of cookies or other goodies).
- No worn or frayed appliance cords and extension cords.
- No overloaded outlets or extension cords.
- ABC or BC fire extinguisher in the kitchen
Garage and Storage Areas
- No newspapers or other rubbish stored near furnace, water heater,or other heat source.
- No oily, greasy rags stored, except when kept in labeled and sealed non-glass containers (preferably metal).
- No gasoline stored in the house or basement. (It should be stored away from the house in an outbuilding and only in safe cans that have flame arresters and pressure-relief valves.)
- No flammable liquids stored near workbench, pilot light, or in anything other than labeled, sealed metal containers. (This includes varnish, paint remover, paint thinner, contact adhesives, cleaning fluids.)
- No overloaded outlets or extension cords.
- All fuses of the correct size.
- ABC or ABCD fire extinguisher in the garage and/or workshop.
Dangerous Actions
- Don't wear loose-sleeve shirts, blouses, skirts or robes while cooking. Loose clothing may catch fire. Wear close-fitting sleeves.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Never play with matches or lighters.
- Never use gasoline to start a fire in the grill or add lighter fluid to an already-started fire.
- Don't smoke while fueling a motor vehicle, boat or a gas-powered tool like a lawn mower.
- Don't smoke in bed, in a chair, or on the sofa when tired, drinking or taking medication.
- Never spray aerosols while smoking or near a space heater, range, candle or other ignition source.
- Don't smoke while using a cleaning fluid, paint thinner, or other flammable liquid.
- Never use a cigarette lighter after spilling flammable fluid on your hands or clothing.
- Never reach over a stove or climb onto a range to get something stored above it.
- Never lean against a range for warmth or stand too close to a heater or fireplace.
- Never let a small child blow out a match.
- Never use a lighted match, lighter, or candle to illuminate a dark area, such as a closet.
Please correct any problems NOW!
Candle Safety
When Burning Candles in the home, use the following safety tips:
- Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or when going to sleep.
- Do not use candles where they can be knocked over by children or pets. Never leave children or pets unattended in a room with a candle.
- Don't allow children or teens to have candles in their bedrooms.
- Keep candles away from items that can ignite such as clothing, books, paper, curtains, Christmas trees, flammable decorations or anything else that burns.
- Always use candleholders, even for wide-based candles. They should be sturdy, large enough to collect dripping wax, and non-flammable.
- Avoid setting a candle on combustible material such as cardboard. Even glass can crack if heated to high temperatures; metal holders are recommended.
- Place candles on a secure piece of furniture.
- Do not place lit candles in windows where blinds or curtains can close over them.
- Keep candles and all open flames away from flammable liquids.
- Extinguish candles when they get within two inches of the holder.
- Keep wicks trimmed to 1/4 inch.
- When purchasing candles or centerpieces with candles, avoid those with material that could ignite either within the candle or at the base (potpourri, dried flowers, fabric, etc.).
- Avoid using greenery around the base of the candles.
- Use flashlights for temporary lighting in power outages, not candles. Keep plenty of fresh batteries on hand during thunderstorm seasons.
- Candles that burn quickly are more dangerous than ones that burn slowly and efficiently.