Security First Insurance

There are many things you can do to prevent a fire in your home. A home fire can be one of the most devasting disasters. Leading causes of home fires are cooking, smoking materials, heating, and electrical. Take these steps now to protect your home:

Kitchen

• Never leave your stove unattended while cooking.
• Keep an all-purpose (one rated for grease and electrical fires) fire extinguisher in your kitchen near your stove.
• Don't store anything flammable near stoves, ovens or other heating appliances.
• Wear tight fitting clothing when you are cooking. Loose clothing is easy to catch fire.
• Don't pour water on a grease fire. Instead, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the stove. If a fire occurs in the oven, close the oven door and turn off the oven.
• Make sure your appliances' wires are not frayed or exposing any copper wire.
• Make sure your appliances are clean and in great condition. Turn them off when you aren't using them.
• Don't operate your microwave without any food inside.
• Clean the exhaust hood and duct over the stove monthly. Wipe up any spilled grease.

Smoking

• Make sure there is nothing still lit in your ashtrays before you empty them.
• Never smoke in bed and even better, don't smoke inside your home.
• Don't smoke when you are tired or taking medications that make you drowsy.
• Keep matches and lighters out of reach from small children.

Candles

• Make sure when you light candles that there is someone in the room. Never leave a candle unattended in any room in your home.
• Use sturdy, candleholders that won't tip or burn.
• Only burn candles on sturdy, uncluttered surfaces.
• Place candles away from windows or doorways or anywhere where drafts can affect the flame.
• Extinguish your candles if you feel tired or are leaving your house.
• Be careful not to splatter hot wax when blowing out a candle.
• Don't burn candles for too long. The wax can melt and the wick can set fire to wherever the candle is placed.

Portable Heaters

• Make sure someone is always in the room when a portable heater is used.
• Make sure that your portable heater will automatically shut off if tipped over.
• Keep children away from portable heaters.
• Keep portable heaters at least 3 1/2 feet away from anything in the room.
• Install and maintain portable heaters, correctly. Read the manual carefully.

Fireplace

• If you have a fireplace, use a screen.
• Make sure the fire is completely out before you go to sleep or leave the house.
• Dispose of materials used to light or fuel the fire in non-flammable containers.
• Don't store anything flamable near the fireplace.
• Install a chimney spark arrester cap to prevent roof fires.
• Have your chimney inspected every year and cleaned, if necessary, by a professional.

Holiday Safety

• Practice candle safety as described above.
• Water live trees daily.
• Be sure artificial trees are flame resistant.
• Be sure to inspect stringed lights and electrical decorations for deterioration.

Clothes Dryer

• Clean the lint screen frequently.
• Never leave your home with the clothes dryer running.
• Dryers must be vented to the outside and not within a wall or attic.
• Make sure all pockets in clothing are clear of any synthetic material, plastic, or rubber.

The following steps can help lessen damage, reduce injuries and maybe even save lives in the event of a fire:

Have a Plan

• Have an escape route planned. Make sure that every family member knows the plan and knows where to meet once you are outside. Establish an easy-to-identify location. Practice the plan periodically.
• Sleep with your bedroom door closed. In the event of a fire, there will be less smoke and heat while you are sleeping. If the door to your bedroom is too hot you will need to escape through the window or another door if available.
• Be sure everyone in the family is familiar with the technique of dropping to the ground and crawling under the smoke to escape a fire.
• Teach young children not to hide from fire or smoke and to go to the firefighters who are there to help them. Young children should know their street address and last name and know how to dial 911.
• Everyone in the family must understand that they are not to return to a burning building.
• Contact emergency responders from a neighbor's home.

Smoke Detectors

• Install smoke detectors on every story of your home and directly outside of bedrooms.
• Keep smoke detectors free from dust.
• Test every detector once a month. A good reminder to replace batteries is when our time changes twice a year.
• If your detector makes a chirping or beeping noise, change the batteries immediately.
• You can purchase inexpensive detectors for the hearing impaired.
• Make sure the light on your smoke detector is blinking. This will let you know that it is working.

Fire Extinguishers

• You should have fire extinguishers firmly mounted in your kitchen, garage, and any workshops where electricity is heavily used.
• Fire extinguishers are for small fires only. If there is a large fire in your home, get out immediately and call 911 from an another phone or a neighbors phone. If you are unable to put out a small fire with an extinguisher, get out.
• Do you know how to operate a fire extinguisher? Make sure your comfortable with how to use one prior to an emergency. It's very difficult to remain calm to figure this out when a fire is in your home. Teach all family members the proper use of the fire extinguisher.