Keep
Your
FAMILY
Safe
from
Fire
Fire Safety
Cooking and heating are the leading causes of home fires and fire injuries , and winter months are the peak time for fire-related
deaths . Now is the perfect time to review and practice fire safety .
Minimize your Risks The good news : Over the past several decades , deaths from home fires in the U . S . have steadily gone down – from 5,200 in 1980 to 2,820 in 2018 , according to Injury Facts . But even one death from a preventable fire is too many . While fire doesn ' t discriminate by age , it is the third leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14 . In 2017 , 127 children in this age group died from fire and smoke inhalation .
When cooking , make fire safety a priority by keeping these tips in mind :
• Be alert ; if you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol , don ’ t use the oven or stovetop
• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying , grilling , boiling or broiling food
• When simmering , baking or roasting , check the food regularly , remain in the kitchen while cooking and use a timer
• Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop
Heating is the second leading cause of home fires . Follow these tips from the American Red Cross :
• Keep all flammables , like paper , clothing , bedding , drapes or rugs , at least 3 feet from a space heater , stove or fireplace
• Never leave portable heaters and fireplaces unattended ; turn off heaters and make sure fireplace embers are extinguished before leaving the room
• If you must use a space heater , place it on a level , nonflammable surface , like ceramic tile , not on a rug or carpet
• Keep children and pets away from space heaters
• When buying a space heater , look for models that shut off automatically if the heater falls over
In addition to cooking , other top causes of fire include smoking , electrical problems and candles . To minimize risks :
• Institute a “ no smoking ” policy in the house
• Check all cords and replace any that are frayed or have bare wires
• Switch to flameless candles
• Keep matches and lighters high and out of children ’ s reach in a locked cabinet
Working Smoke Alarms Are a Must About three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or working smoke alarms . Smoke alarms are a key part of a home fire escape plan providing early warning reducing your risk of dying in a fire . The National Fire Protection Association recommends you :
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home , inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas on the ceiling or high on the wall
• Keep smoke alarms away from the kitchen , at least 10 feet from the stove , to reduce false alarms
• Use special alarms with strobe lights and bed shakers for people who are hard of hearing or deaf
• Test smoke alarms monthly
• Replace batteries annually , and change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector at the same time
• Replace smoke alarms that are 10 or more years old
24 LakeTalk February 2021