Fire Safety Checklist

Make the List, Check it Twice

Now, some of the details to help prevent home fires: This checklist is divided into things we can all do, simple fixes and not so simple fixes. The difference between the two is economics. Not all of us live in sophisticated urban areas or in new housing. Not all of us own our homes. The statistics on fire damage, injury and death go up significantly in areas of “sub-standard” housing. Few people choose to live in older, sub-standard homes, they have no choice. That doesn’t mean you’re a sitting duck for disaster; it just means you have to be that much more careful.

Things to Do and Simple Fixes

Planning

• Develop an escape plan escape plan with two exits from every room. Consider the physical mobility and age of each family member in this plan and make accommodations to get everyone out safely.
• If windows are included as escape routes in this plan, make sure the occupants can easily open them.
• Keep all exit routes clear so they can be easily navigated in the dark.
• Keep all important documents in a fireproof safe or box.

For Children

• Never leave small children alone or unattended.
• Go over the escape plan with your entire family. The smaller the children, the more frequent the practice drills should be. Use these practices as a fire safety teaching tool for the family.
• Make sure baby sitters know your escape plan.
• Make sure your children as well as their baby sitters know how to notify the fire department in case of a fire.
• Keep matches, lighters and lit candles out of the reach of small children.
• Initiate a three foot child-free zone around potentially dangerous areas like the range and oven in the kitchen, the garage or storage areas for flammable materials.

The Disabled or Elderly

• The bedrooms of those in your family with mobility issues should be located on the ground floor and near an exit.
• If hearing is an issue for a family member, check into a smoke alarm with strobe lights to alert them.

Safety Equipment

• If your home or apartment has no smoke alarms, install them. Check the batteries every month and replace them annually.
• Consider a fire extinguisher for your home; learn how to use it and instruct others in your family.

Electricity

• Never run an extension cord under a rug or hooked over nails. In fact, avoid extension cords whenever possible. If you have to, make sure the cord can handle the wattage required by the appliance plugged into it.
• If a fuse blows or a breaker trips, figure out why and resolve the issue. Remove excess appliances from a breaker circuit that trips frequently.
• Make sure the right size fuse is in each socket in the fuse box. If not, fix it.
• Lighting fixtures will have a maximum bulb wattage recommendation. Do not use a higher wattage bulb than is recommended.
• Allow air space around the television set to prevent overheating.

Heating and Cooking

• Furnaces, stoves and smoke pipes should be kept in good operating condition and inspected regularly. Chimneys for wood stoves or fireplaces should be cleaned annually.
• Keep upholstered furniture a safe distance from wood burning stoves.
• Use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks from flying or logs from rolling out.
• If you use portable heaters, follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions on maintenance, fueling and placement.
• Keep portable heaters at least three-feet away from combustible materials.
• Keep combustibles — sleeves, hair, dish towels, packaging — away from stove top burners.
• If cooking oils ignite in a pan, put a lid on the pan and turn off the burner. Do not use water or flour to douse the flames. The former can spread the fire, the latter can cause an explosion.
• Do not leave lit burners unattended. Do not leave the house when the oven is on.

Housekeeping

• Out-of-sight storage areas: attics, basement, sheds, closets, and garages should be maintained with a minimum of combustible materials. Take the time and energy to assess stored materials. If you forgot you had it or do not use it, toss it. Never stack storage containers near furnaces or other heat sources.
• Store flammable liquids in safety containers away from heat and children. If you have to store multiple flammable liquids — gasoline for lawn equipment and kerosene for heaters — use identifiably different containers. Do not store kerosene in a can that has been used for gasoline and vice versa.
• Refuel lawn equipment when that equipment is cool.

Not So Simple Fixes

• Fireplaces or wood burning stoves should be surrounded by non-combustible materials with enough tile or stonework to keep embers, sparks or logs from falling on carpeting or wood floors. Building codes require setbacks from walls.
• If your wiring is old or substandard, replace it.
• If your gas range’s electrical ignition does not work, have it fixed. That annoying click lets you know the natural gas or propane is on.
• If your gas range does not have an electrical ignition, replace it. Even with the three foot child-free zone, stove dials look like play toys.
• Consider fire ladders for second story windows identified as escape routes in your escape plan.

Tagged as: Home Fire Safety Checklist