Fire Safety Tips Everyone Should Know

Home fires are more common than most of us realize. In 2019, fire departments in the U.S. responded to a house fire every 93 seconds, according to research by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Many of these fires could have been prevented if the residents had followed essential fire safety guidelines. We have compiled a list of fire safety tips everyone should know to help you avoid a fire in your home.

House Fire Prevention Tips

Fireplace & Chimney

• Keep the area around the fireplace clear of flammable objects (such as drapes, furniture, decorations, and books).
• Never leave a fire unattended, and never leave a child alone in a room with a fire. Before you leave the room or go to bed, extinguish the fire completely.
• Have the fireplace and chimney professionally inspected and cleaned every year by an NFI Certified Chimney Technician or professional chimney sweep.
• Keep matches, lighters, and other fire starters away from children.
• Setup a screen around the fireplace to block embers.

Kitchen

• Keep flammable objects (dish towels, utensils, bowls, etc.) away from the stovetop.
• Regularly clean the stovetop to remove grease and pieces of food that could ignite.
• Never leave the stovetop unattended while it is on.
• Don’t wear long, flowy sleeves while cooking.

Heating Appliances

• Keep flammable objects (such as drapes, furniture, decorations, and books) away from space heaters, stoves, hotplates, and furnaces.
• Unplug heating appliances when you aren’t using them.

Laundry Room

• Routinely clean out the vents so that they are lint-free.
• Make sure that the room has enough ventilation and doesn’t overheat.

Smoking

• Smoke outside of the house or beside an open window.
• Extinguish your cigarettes whenever you are feeling drowsy.
• Make sure that the cigarette is entirely out by dousing it with water or extinguishing it in sand. Do not throw it in a trash can before you know it is entirely out.

General

• Ensure each room has a fire detector and a carbon monoxide detector near your fireplace, furnace and/or other heating appliance.
• Check the fire detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries once a month. Replace the batteries once a year.
• Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen near the stove and your fireplace.
• Create a fire escape plan and practice it twice a year with your family or roommates.
• Teach your children that they should stop-drop-and-roll if their clothes are on fire and crawl under flames if in a burning building. Have them practice these techniques during your fire drills so they will be ready in the event of a fire.
• Teach your children never to try to hide from a fire or run into a burning room or building. (Nothing is as valuable as their life.)
• Ensure that your children know how to call 911 and share their full name and address.

Fires spread quickly. A minor fire can turn into an inferno in less than a minute. Within five minutes, your entire home could be in flames. This is why prevention and planning are essential to avert a house fire. Every year, lives are saved when people follow these essential fire safety tips.

Your safety is important to us. That is why Burlington Fireplace and Solar has a crew of NFI Certified Chimney Technicians who inspect, clean, and repair chimneys and fireplaces. We serve residents throughout Southeast Wisconsin. If you need to schedule your annual cleaning and inspection, give us a call!