Put a Freeze on Winter Fires

Home fires occur more in winter than in any other season. As you stay cozy and warm this winter, be fire smart!

Half of all home heating fires occur in December, January and February.

1 in every 7 home fires and 1 in every 5 home fire deaths involves heating equipment.

Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from any heat source like fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators or space heaters.

Keep portable generators outside, away from windows, and as far away from your home as possible.

Install and test carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month.

Plug only 1 heat-producing appliance (like a space heater) into an electrical outlet at a time.

Have a qualified professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents every year.

Store cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container, and keep it outside at least 10 feet from your home and any nearby buildings.

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It’s fun to decorate for the winter holidays, but holiday decorations can increase your risk for a home fire. As you deck the halls this season, be fire smart.

Almost half of the home decoration fires in December are started by candles.

Think about using battery-operated flameless candles.

Christmas is the peak day for candle fires.

Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that burns.

A dry Christmas tree can burn very hot and very fast.

More than 1 in every 5 Christmas tree fires were caused by a heat source too close to the tree.

Read manufacturer’s instructions for the number of light strands to connect.

Make sure your tree is at least 3 feet away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, candles or heat vents. Also, make sure your tree does not block exits.

Get rid of your tree after Christmas or when it is dry.

Download a printable fire here. 
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Did you know?

You are at higher risk of having a clothes dryer fire if you don’t clean your lint filter and dryer vents.

Follow these simple safety tips to prevent a clothes dryer fire in your home.

• Have your dryer installed and serviced by a professional.
• Do not use the dryer without a lint filter. Clean the lint filter before and after each cycle.
• Do not forget to clean the back of the dryer where lint can build up.
• Check the venting system behind the dryer to make sure that it is not damaged, crushed or restricted.
• Make sure that the outdoor vent covering opens when the dryer is operating.

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For more information and free fire-safety resources, visit www.usfa.fema.gov.

Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm!

Half of home fire deaths happen between 11pm and 7am, when most people are sleep.

Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement. Larger homes may need more alarms.

For the best protection, install interconnected smoke alarms in your home. When one sounds, they all sound.

• Test smoke alarms every month and replace 9-volt smoke alarm batteries at least once every year.
• Smoke alarms do not last forever. Get new smoke alarms every 10 years.
• Make sure your smoke alarms work. Your family is not safe if they can’t hear the smoke alarms.
• Some people, especially children and older adults, may need help to wake up. Make sure someone will wake them if the smoke alarm sounds.
• When the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside. Go to your outside meeting place.
• Call the fire department from a cellphone or a neighbor’s phone. Stay outside until the fire department says it’s safe to go back inside.

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How fast does fire move? Very fast. You could have less than 2 minutes to get out safely once the smoke alarm sounds.

7 steps to practicing your escape plan.

1. Draw a map of your home. Include all doors and windows.

2. Find thew ways out of every room.

3. Make sure doors and windows are not blocked.

4. Choose an outside meeting place in front of your home.

5. Push the test button to sound the smoke alarm.

6. Practice your drill with everyone in the home.

7. Get outside to your meeting place.

Click Here to Download Escape Plan Grid

Click Here to Download Escape Plan Poster

For more information about escape planning, visit: www.usfa.fema.gov and www.nfpa.org.

Remember to stop when the bus lights are flashing red and follow the rules to keep our students safe! Regardless of where you live, let’s all do our part to ensure students have a safe school year!

When to Stop for School Buses:
• 2-lane roads: All vehicles must stop in both directions.
• 3+ lane roads: Only vehicles traveling in the same direction as the bus must stop.
• Turning lanes and medians: Stop if traveling in the same direction as the bus.

It’s important to understand that with proper training and education, fire extinguishers can save lives and property. Many adults might not know how or when to use fire extinguishers. Fire departments can help with fire extinguisher training and answer questions that community members may have.

Fire extinguishers contain different extinguishing agents such as water, carbon dioxide, dry chemical or wet chemical, depending on the kind of fire the extinguisher is intended for.

Did you know:
There are FIVE primary types of fire extinguishers, each designed to put out different kinds of fires.

For use with ordinary materials like cloth, wood and paper.

Often found in homes and businesses

For use with combustible and flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, oil and oil-based paints.

Often found in homes and businesses

For use with electrical equipment like appliances, tools or other equipment that is plugged into an outlet. Class C fire extinguishers use an

 agent that doesn’t conduct electricity.

Often found in homes and businesses

For use with flammable metals.

Often found in factories

For use with vegetable oils, animal oils and fats in cooking appliances.

Often found in commercial kitchens (restaurants, cafeterias, catering businesses)

There are also multipurpose fire extinguishers that might be labeled “B-C” or “A-B-C” that can be used on most types of home fires. Most home improvement stores carry multipurpose fire extinguishers that cover Class A through Class C.

Remember:

• Always look for the “UL Listed” or “ULC Listed” label on a fire extinguisher to ensure it is certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.

• Fire extinguishers vary in size and weight, but it is recommended that the largest one be selected so that a user can safely and comfortably operate.

• How to read the classification label: The number before the “A” represents a multiple of 1.25 gallons of water whereas the number before the “B” represents a multiple of the area or size in square feet of fire to be extinguished. For example, a fire extinguisher classification of 1A:10B:C indicates that it provides the equivalent of 1.25 gallons of water applied on a Class A fire. The number 10 indicates it can extinguish Class B fires up to 10 square feet in size, and the C indicates that it can be used for Class C fires.

Contact your fire department if you want fire extinguisher training or have any questions. Help spread the word by sharing the following information and tips for using and maintaining fire extinguishers.

Information provided by www.usfa.fema.gov