Home Fire Prevention and Safety Tips. Sometimes fires occur because of things beyond our control such as brush fires, or faulty electrical wiring, however, there are some things we can do to prevent fires. Some of these include: • More than half of all fatal fires happen while people are sleeping. Install smoke detectors in strategic locations. Test every six months, and replace the batteries frequently. • Draw a schematic escape plan for your house. Sketch out the most probable escape routes from every room in the house. If the house is two stories, prepare drop-down ladders from the windows in case the stairs are blocked by fire. • Practice getting out of the house quickly so that it become second nature. • Consider investment in a home fire extinguisher. Check and inspect on a regular basis to ensure that the chemical extinguishers are still safe to use. • Never smoke in bed or when you are drowsy. Always check for smoldering cigarettes under cushions of couches and chairs. Blow out any burning candles if you leave the room. • Make sure TV's and stereos have space around them to prevent overheating. • Keep space heaters and wood stoves at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn. • Make sure wood-burning fires have been completely extinguished before leaving a room. • Always turn off natural gas fire places when not in attendance. • Always turn heaters off when you go to bed or go out. • Use a metal screen on your fireplace. • Have your chimney inspected once a year. • Keep matches out of the reach of curious children • Turn off the stove whenever you are not present in the kitchen. Never leave cooking unattended. • Wear close-fitting sleeves when cooking. • Do not pour hot oil into your garbage can, wait until it cools and place it in a safe metal or ceramic container for disposal • Never pour water on a grease fire. If a grease fire starts, carefully slide a lid over the pan to smother the flames, then turn off the burner. • Store flammable materials outside or in a detached garage. • Don't leave piles of debris in dry, sunny places • Keep flammable clothing and other items away from open flames or extreme heat sources • Avoid using fire-crackers and sparklers anywhere near dry flammable wood or grass • Do not store anything near the furnace or heater. • Never store propane indoors. If you smell propane or natural gas, get out of the house right away and call for help • Immediately replace cracked or frayed electrical cords. • Any electrical outlet near bathroom basins or kitchen and bar sinks should be protected by a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI). Contact a qualified electrician for installation Nobody thinks it will happen to them, but fires do happen and people who are not prepared are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. There are several things you can do to protect you and your family if a fire should happen. • Once out, never go back into a burning house. • Know how to drop and roll if you should catch fire. Adults and children alike should practice doing this. • If for some reason someone is trapped in a building during a fire, everyone in your family should know what to do. If you are in a room that is starting to fill with smoke, close the door and stuff clothing or towels into the cracks. If you are near a water source, wetting these will help even more. You should also cover your mouth and nose with something to filter out the smoke. Fire Drills in the Home In 1991, 3500 Americans died in home fires. That's nearly 10 people a day. Tens of thousands more were injured. People can survive even major fires in their homes if they get out quickly and stay out. Rules for Survivors -Install and maintain smoke detectors. -Make an escape plan and practice it. -Consider installing an automatic sprinkler system. Plan Your Escape When a fire occurs, there is no time for planning. Sit down with your family today and make a step-by-step plan for escaping a fire. Draw a floor-plan of your home.. ..marking two (2) ways out of every room-- especially bedrooms. Agree on a meeting place.. ..outside your home where every member of the household will gather after escaping a fire to wait for the fire department. This allows you to count heads and inform the fire department if anyone is trapped inside the burning building. Practice your escape plan.. .. at least twice a year. Have a fire drill in your home. Appoint someone to be monitor and have everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly, but carefully. Make your exit drill realistic. Pretend that some exits are blocked by fire and practice alternative escape routes. Pretend that the lights are out and that some escape routes are filling with smoke. Be Prepared! If you live in an apartment, be sure all doors and windows can be unlocked easily, even in the dark. Use the stairs to leave the building. Never use an elevator during a fire; it may stop between floors or take you to a floor where the fire is burning. If you live in a two-story house, make sure everyone in the household can unlock all doors and windows quickly. If you must escape from a second-story window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the ground. Make special arrangements for children, older adults, and people with disabilities. Disabled people should have a phone in their bedrooms, and, if possible, should sleep on the first floor. Test doors before you open them While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and touch the door, the knob, and the space between the door and its frame with the back of your hand. If the door is hot, use another escape route. If the door is cool, open it with caution. If you are trapped,.. ..close the doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the doors to keep smoke out. Wait at a window and signal for help with light-colored cloth or a flashlight. If there's a phone in the room, call the fire department and tell them exactly where you are. Get out fast...Don't stop for anything Do not try to rescue possessions or pets. Go directly to your meeting place, and then call the fire department from a neighbor's phone. Every member of your household should know how to call the fire department. Crawl low under smoke Smoke contains deadly gases, and heat rises. Cleaner air will be near the floor. If you encounter smoke using your primary exit, use your alternative escape plan. If you must exit through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees, keeping your head 12 to 24 inches above the floor. STAY OUT Once you are out of your home, don't go back for any reason. If people are trapped, the fire fighters have the best chance of rescuing them. The heat and smoke of a fire are overpowering. Fire fighters have the training, experience, and protective equipment needed to enter burning buildings.