Careless cooking, unattended candles and faulty wiring are just a few of the many causes of home fires. Taking a few simple precautions can help prevent a fire from starting in your home.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Fire. It is a homeowner’s worst nightmare which means prevention should be a homeowner’s first priority.
The first line of defense against fire are smoke detectors. Place them on every floor of the house including the basement at attic.
But smoke detectors don’t work without fresh batteries, and those should be changed every year. Here’s a tip: pick a date that you can remember and change the batteries on that date every year. I use thanksgiving. But you can use Mother’s Day, your birthday, any date that will stick with you. Keep the batteries fresh and after 10 years, change the unit entirely. And if you want an added layer of protection, install sprinklers.
Fires in the home often start from careless mistakes. So be aware of these common risks: walking away from the stove while cooking or leaving something flammable near the stove.
And speaking of flammable, often we’ll burn candles to help get rid of food odors but leaving that candle unattended is a bad idea. Another bad idea is loading up an outlet with too many cords or using an extension cord for an appliance. It may seem harmless, but this is a fire risk!
Many space heaters have auto-shut off features that help prevent fires, but be sure to keep them at least 3 feet from furniture and walls.
Check your fireplace every year for things like clogged chimneys and gas leaks, and keep a screen in front of that roaring fire so the embers don’t escape.
Last but not least, make sure fire extinguishers are located in all high-risk areas and that everyone in the house, including school-age kids, know how to use them.