Fire Prevention Week

The best way to prevent a fire in your home is to buy smoke alarms and make sure that they always have working batteries. Smoke alarms are your first line of defense against fires that start in unoccupied areas of your home. Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside every sleeping area. It is best to test them once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year. If you have children, teach them what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.

Besides having working smoke alarms, it is good to know what causes fires and how to avoid them. One cause of house fires is heating equipment. The leading factor in contributing to heating equipment fires is failure to clean. This usually involved creosote build-up in chimneys. Make sure your home heating sources are clean and in working order. Space heaters, for example, can pose a very real threat of a fire if not positioned or maintained properly. They should not be left to sit unattended for any period of time, so if you leave a room or go to sleep, you should turn off your space heater first.

In the event of a power outage, use flashlights instead of candles. Candles are another fire risk and should not be left unattended when they are lit. More than half of all candle fires start when things that can burn are too close to the candle.

Stop by Norbys to get everything you need to protect your family from fire. From fire extinguishers to batteries, these tools and the knowledge of potential fire starters will help prevent you from becoming another fire statistic.