Stay safe at home with these fire prevention tips

(NC) As temperatures drop and we spend more time indoors, it’s a good time to give your home a fire safety check. Fall and winter bring added risks like candles, cooking and twinkling holiday lights. But with a few simple precautions, you can help protect your home and the people in it.

Fire safety starts with prevention

• Keep a close eye when you’re cooking. Most house fires start in the kitchen, so don’t leave the stove unattended, and keep anything flammable, like tea towels or packaging, away from heat.
  Clean out the dryer lint trap every time you use it.
• If you use a fireplace or a wood stove, book a chimney cleaning and inspection every fall before heating season. Stick to safe-burning materials like seasoned wood and never toss in cardboard or household garbage.
• Tidy up the space around your home: keep firewood and dry leaves away from the house, and ensure your barbeque is clean and grease-free, even the in the off season.
• Replace any damaged strings of holiday lights before decorating and be sure to turn them off before leaving the house or going to bed. 

Make sure your alarms and tools are ready

• Test your smoke alarms once a month to make sure they’re working properly. You should have one in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home.
• Once a year, be sure to replace batteries in smoke alarms not wired into the home and check the expiration date on the alarm. Expired units should be replaced.
• If you have gas appliances or a wood-burning fireplace, consider adding a carbon monoxide detector too. It’s an extra layer of safety you’ll be glad to have.
• Read your fire extinguisher’s instructions carefully and keep it in a place that’s easy to reach and close to an exit. 

Plan and practise your escape

• If the worst happens and you experience a fire in your home, make sure you have a plan in place for a safe escape. Your home escape plan should meet the needs of everyone in your household, including young kids, older adults and anyone with mobility or sensory needs.
• Know two ways out of every room if possible, and make sure doors and windows open easily. Consider a window ladder for second floor bedrooms—they’re portable and can be easily stored in case of emergencies.
• Have an outside meeting place a safe distance from your home where everyone should meet.
• Practise your home fire drill at least twice a year with everyone in the household. Make sure any guests are aware of your fire plan.

A few small steps now can make a big difference in an emergency. For more fire safety tips, visit cooperators.ca.