Tips to Prevent Home Fires in Citrus Heights/Roseville and Carmichael

6/19/2020 (Permalink)

Tips to Prevent Home Fires in Citrus Heights/Roseville and Carmichael

Avoiding a fire outbreak in the home comes down to become more safety-conscious and following specific fire safety guidelines in the home. Following these guidelines will help to prevent a fire incident in the home.

General Guidelines

• Children
• Matches and lighters should be out of sight, reach, and access for kids.
• An adult should always be with kids whenever there is an operating stove or burning candles.
• Teach kids to be responsible with fire as a tool, not a plaything.
• Fire Hazard Awareness
• Keeping combustible and flammable liquids/ materials close to heat sources is a recipe for disaster.
• Ovens and stove ranges are not meant for heating the home.
• Portable generators should be used and refueled outdoors and/or in well-ventilated areas.

Activity Specific Guidelines

• Cooking
• Stay in the kitchen when cooking. If you are leaving, even for a short period, turn off the stove.
• Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled top sleeves when cooking.
• Enforce a 3-feet "kid-free zone" around the stove.
• Grills should be at 10 feet away or more from any siding and deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
• Smoking
• Don't smoke in bed, especially when drowsy, or when tipsy, or when Oxygen is being used in the home.
• Smoke outside, completely stub-out butts in an ashtray or a can filled with sand. Also, soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away. Hot cigarette butts can light up a trash can.

Equipment Guides

• Electrical and Appliance Safety
• Don’t force plugs to fit into a slot outlet or extension cord that is not an exact match.
• Immediately turn off, unplug and professionally replace faulty appliances, light switches that are hot to the touch, or frayed wires.
• Portable Space Heaters
• Purchase heaters evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory.
• Thermostat control and automatic switch-off mechanism are important features in a portable heater in preventing fires.
• Use the heaters in a well-ventilated room.

Fireplaces and Wood stoves.

• Schedule regular and thorough inspection of wood stove pipes and chimneys.
• Use a fireplace screen that is heavy enough to stop any rolling logs and that are big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch any flying sparks.
• If the fire is not completely out, do not leave the house or go to bed.

Following these fire safety guidelines should help you prevent a fire in your home in most cases.