For more information, see Focus on Fire Safety: Fire Protection Week 2009 - Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned

FIRE SAFETY INFORMATION

See also: Kitchen Safety.

Click to download 8.5x11 smoke alarm poster in color PDF format (273kb) -

Don't Forget to Change Your Smoke Alarm Batteries When You Change Your Clocks. Change Your Smoke Alarm Batteries and Test Your Smoke Alarms and Replace All Smoke Alarms Over 10 Years Old. Poster credits: Mascot design donated by Shannan Greenhouse. Smoke alarm graphic adapted from public domain United States Fire Administration (USFA) safety ad.

See also: USFA Fire Training and USFA Fire Reports.

The United States has one of the highest fire death and injury rates in the world. Fire--in the form of flames and smoke--is the second leading cause of accidental death in the home. -- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an independent regulatory agency of the U.S. Government.

Citizens' Fire Safety Fact Sheets, Courtesy of USFA:

• Disaster Fire Safety

  • Earthquake Fire Safety, 8/1/1998, PDF format (32kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Flood Fire Safety, 8/1/1998, PDF format (31kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Tornado or Hurricane Fire Safety, 8/1/1998, PDF format (34kb) - Get Adobe Reader

• Home Fire Safety

  • Smoke Alarms: What You Need to Know, 5/25/2007, PDF format (621kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Learn about Fire: This is Fire! A Fact Sheet on the Nature of Fire, 3/1/2006, PDF format (164kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Bedroom Fire Safety, 3/1/2006, PDF format (195kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Exposing an Invisible Killer: The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide, 3/1/2006, PDF format (144kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Portable Generator Hazards: A Factsheet on Portable Generator Safety, 3/1/2006, PDF format (159kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • On the Safety Circuit: A Factsheet on Home Electrical Fire Prevention, 3/1/2006, PDF format (166kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Get Out Safely! A Fact Sheet on Fire Escape Planning, 3/1/2006, PDF format (160kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Danger Above: A Factsheet on High-Rise Safety, 3/1/2006, PDF format (112kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Home Fire Protection: Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems, 8/1/2004, PDF format (170kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Escape from Fire - Once You're Out, Stay Out!, 2/1/2003, PDF format (197kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • After the Fire! Returning to Normal, 2/1/1999, PDF format (471kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • After the Fire! Returning to Normal (Spanish): Después del Incendio: Retornar a La Normalidad, 2/1/1999, PDF format (345kb) - Get Adobe Reader

• Manufactured Home Fire Safety

  • Live Safely in Your Manufactured Home: A Factsheet on Manufactured Home Safety, 3/1/2006, PDF format (207kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Planning Emergency Escape from Manufactured Homes, 1/1/2000, PDF format (277kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms for Your Manufactured Home, 1/1/2000, PDF format (239kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Fire Sprinklers for Manufactured Homes, 1/1/2000, PDF format (238kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Electrical Safety in Manufactured Homes, 1/1/2000, PDF format (521kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Wood Stoves, Fireplaces, and Space Heaters for Manufactured Homes, 1/1/2000, PDF format (239kb) - Get Adobe Reader

• Older Adults

  • Fire Safety Checklist for Older Adults, 2/12/2007, PDF format (239kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Fire Safety Checklist for Older Adults (Spanish): Lista de Precauciones Contra Incendios Para uso de personas de edad avanzada, 2/13/2007, PDF format (277kb) - Get Adobe Reader

• Rural Fire Safety

  • Check Your Hotspots! A Fact Sheet on Rural Fire Safety and Prevention, 3/1/2006, PDF format (172kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Fireplace and Home Fire Safety: A Fact Sheet on Rural Fire Safety and Prevention, 3/1/2006, PDF format (161kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Fire Safety Beyond the City Limits: A Factsheet on Rural Fire Safety and Prevention, 3/1/2006, PDF format (162kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Fire-safe Landscaping Can Save Your Home, 3/1/2006, PDF format (192kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Rural Fire Prevention Checklist, 3/1/2006, PDF format (176kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Wildfire … Are You Prepared? , 8/1/2004, PDF format (272kb) - Get Adobe Reader

• Smoking and Home Fires

  • Consumer Fact Sheet, 12/27/2007, PDF format (556kb) - Get Adobe Reader

• Holiday and Seasonal Fires

  • December and Holiday Fires, 12/1/2006, PDF format (1.1Mb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • A Season for Sharing in Fire Safety: A Fact Sheet on Holiday Fire Safety, 3/1/2006, PDF format (149kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • The Dangers of Fireworks, 7/1/2005, PDF format (417kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • New Year's Holiday Fires, 11/1/2004, PDF format (199kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Winter Fires: Safety Tips for the Home , 5/1/2003, PDF format (152kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Lightning Fires, 3/1/2002, PDF format (119kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Christmas/Christmas Tree Fires, 12/1/2001, PDF format (100kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Halloween Fires, 12/1/2001, PDF format (99kb) - Get Adobe Reader
  • Winter Storm Fire Safety, 8/1/1998, PDF format (36kb) - Get Adobe Reader

• Fire Safety Checklist:

  • Cover all unused electrical outlets.
  • Do not overload outlets.
  • Arrange electrical cords so they do not entangle with one another.
  • Keep electrical cords from hanging over the counters.
  • Try to avoid the use of extension cords.
  • Store all matches, lighters, and flammable materials up high, preferably locked securely and/or out of the reach of children.
  • Store cleansers and other chemicals in cabinets with childproof locks.
  • Make sure your smoke alarm sensitivity sensor is clean of dust and cobwebs each month.
  • There should be a smoke detector installed on every level of your home and in the hallways leading to the bedrooms. It is an extra precaution to have them installed in each bedroom.
  • If you do not have smoke detectors in the bedrooms, sleep with the doors open.
  • Keep a working flashlight near each bed, in the kitchen, basement, and family room.
  • Have an escape plan that includes two ways out of every room in your home.
  • Practice the escape plan every six months.
  • Set up a safe place to meet outside.
  • Fireplaces and, especially, chimneys should be cleaned and inspected by a professional every year.
  • Set the thermostats on water heaters between 135 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Try to use non-flammable or fire-resistant materials for curtains and upholstery.
  • Keep drapes away from heat sources, including lamps.
  • Use space heaters only on noncombustible surfaces and at least three feet from furniture and walls.
  • Store all flammable and combustible products in cool, well ventilated places, away from heat sources.
  • Keep dirty rags in a sealed metal can or dispose of them.
  • Store gasoline only in metal cans approved by your fire department.
  • When not in actual use, lawn mowers and all gas powered appliances should be stored empty.
  • Turn pot handles inward while using burners on the stove.
  • Keep cooking surfaces and surrounding areas free from clutter and grease build-up.
  • Keep fire extinguisher near farthest exit from the stove.
  • Do not use water to douse a flaming pot. Smother with cover or baking sheet or use fire extinguisher.
  • Avoid wearing loose clothing with flowing sleeves while cooking.
  • Do not leave the kitchen with food cooking on the stovetop.
  • Get out as soon as you discover a fire; do not try to fight the fire or gather possessions.
  • If you have a fire get out of the house and immediately dial 911 from a neighbor’s phone.
  • Replace worn cords.
  • Do not run cords under rugs.
• See also: Personal/Family Emergency Preparedness Plan - Get Adobe Reader -- Excellent 2-page brochure in PDF format.

Escaped debris burns are the leading cause of wildfire.

—Tennessee Department of Forestry