Fire Prevention / Safety Information & Events

Safety Tips

Fire Prevention is something that everyone should keep a consideration of whether they're a renter or owner. In 2024 there were almost 1.4 million fires in the US, resulting in 3,920 deaths and 11,780 injuries to civilians. Of these, 470,000 were structure fires leading to 3,170 deaths and 10,335 injuries to civilians.

The following is a list of safety tips to help reduce the risks of a fire and/or lower risks involved in a fire.

• Safe Cooking

  When cooking, stay near. Turn off burners/cook-tops if you have to leave the room, never leave them on unattended. Make sure to angle pots, pans, etc. with handles out of reach of children and to reduce chance of accidentally bumping them. And in the case of a grease fire, never use water, try to place a lid over the pot/pan to cut off the oxygen or use a Class K extinguisher.

• Electrical Safety

  Some electrical hazards present with signs, such as flickering lights, regularly blown fuses or tripped breakers, and odor of smoke or wires burning. If you have lights regularly flickering that changing a bulb doesn't resolve, and/or fuses blowing or breakers tripping, keep them turned off and call a certified electrician.

  Also make sure to inspect extension cables for wear and tear that might be exposing inner wires, don't use cheap non-certified surge protectors or extension strips, and avoid electrical cables being anywhere they could be made a hazard by repeated stepping on or doors and objects pinching them.

• Children Considerations

  Make sure to never leave matches or lighters in reach of children that can get them, and focus on lighters that are child-resistant. And make sure to teach children the hazard and dangers involved with lighters and matches.

• Heating Safety

  For many types of home heating systems you should get an annual inspection, generally in the fall before cold weather season sets in and your heating system is actively used. This includes but isn't limited to, natural gas or propane based boilers/furnaces, central air systems and especially solid fuel heat like fireplaces, pellet or coal heat in particular due to risks of chimney fires.

  And when using electric heaters such as space heaters, always remember that they should be plugged directly into an outlet, never use extension cords or strips. Also keep them at least 3 feet away from flammable objects, and don't leave them running unattended. And try to make sure your electrical wiring is safe to use such high-amp devices.

• Smoking Risks

  Thousands of structure fires annually are caused by smoking related causes, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. Some things you can do to reduce the risk are making sure you always extinguish your cigarettes or cigars, never leave them unattended while lit. Don't smoke when tired or when taking medications that make you drowsy. Try to wet ashtrays before dumping them into trash cans. And of course never smoke in bed.

• Smoke Alarms

  Smoke alarms are a critical method of safety for being aware of a fire, a minimal installation should involve at least one smoke detector on every floor as well as near any sleeping areas. A good practice is to also test them monthly and make sure you check their age, most modern smoke detectors need replaced every 10 years at the latest, some sooner.

• Fire Extinguishers

  Keep at least one ABC Extinguisher on each floor, as well as an extra one, or even a Class K (Grease/Cooking Fires) Extinguishers in the kitchen. And if possible, see if there are any safety classes in your area for training on fire extinguishers and sign everyone in your household up.

• Have a Plan

  Make an emergency plan, this should be something for all the family or people in your household that maps out your house and escape routes and where to meet up outside. Make sure everyone is familiar with it, and the locations of things like extinguishers.