A home fire can be devastating and they happen more frequently than you may imagine. In a recent year in Bloomington, for example, there were 47 cooking-related fires —and those are only the ones for which fire trucks were rolled!
10 Things to Do to Prevent Residential Fires
- Check your smoke detectors monthly.
- Check your fire extinguisher monthly.
- Don’t leave cooking unattended.
- Never leave candles unattended.
- Don’t use space heaters.
- Only grill where it is allowed, and do so safely.
- Don’t smoke. If you must smoke, dispose of your butt appropriately.
- Do not overload a circuit: too much stuff=fire hazard.
- Never leave a christmas tree (or similar) unattended.
- Snag Rental Insurance, just in case…
THIS IS JUST A SHORT LIST: WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU CAREFULLY REVIEW THE U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATION SITE OR CALL THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF FIRE PREVENTION PRECAUTIONS.
The Bloomington Fire Department has some good information about how to prevent, and what to do about, cooking related fires.
Another good resource for fire prevention can be found from the Department of Homeland Security. We highlight recommend you read through the materials and take steps to safeguard yourselves and your home:
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/
(and if you would like your fire prevention a little less dry, try the one targeting kids although it should not be a replacement for the one targeting ‘more mature audiences’).
Another good site is the National Fire Protection Association.