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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.
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:
Home Fire Safety
- Smoke Alarms: What You Need to Know, 5/25/2007, PDF format (621kb) -
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- Learn about Fire: This is Fire! A Fact Sheet on the Nature of Fire, 3/1/2006, PDF format (164kb) -
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- Bedroom Fire Safety, 3/1/2006, PDF format (195kb) -
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- Exposing an Invisible Killer: The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide, 3/1/2006, PDF format (144kb) -
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- Portable Generator Hazards: A Factsheet on Portable Generator Safety, 3/1/2006, PDF format (159kb) -
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- On the Safety Circuit: A Factsheet on Home Electrical Fire Prevention, 3/1/2006, PDF format (166kb) -
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- Get Out Safely! A Fact Sheet on Fire Escape Planning, 3/1/2006, PDF format (160kb) -
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- Danger Above: A Factsheet on High-Rise Safety, 3/1/2006, PDF format (112kb) -
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- Home Fire Protection: Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems, 8/1/2004, PDF format (170kb) -
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- Escape from Fire - Once You're Out, Stay Out!, 2/1/2003, PDF format (197kb) -
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- After the Fire! Returning to Normal, 2/1/1999, PDF format (471kb) -
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- After the Fire! Returning to Normal (Spanish): Después del Incendio: Retornar a La Normalidad, 2/1/1999, PDF format (345kb) -
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Manufactured Home Fire Safety
- Live Safely in Your Manufactured Home: A Factsheet on Manufactured Home Safety, 3/1/2006, PDF format (207kb) -
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- Planning Emergency Escape from Manufactured Homes, 1/1/2000, PDF format (277kb) -
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- Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms for Your Manufactured Home, 1/1/2000, PDF format (239kb) -
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- Fire Sprinklers for Manufactured Homes, 1/1/2000, PDF format (238kb) -
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- Electrical Safety in Manufactured Homes, 1/1/2000, PDF format (521kb) -
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- Wood Stoves, Fireplaces, and Space Heaters for Manufactured Homes, 1/1/2000, PDF format (239kb) -
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Rural Fire Safety
- Check Your Hotspots! A Fact Sheet on Rural Fire Safety and Prevention, 3/1/2006, PDF format (172kb) -
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- Fireplace and Home Fire Safety: A Fact Sheet on Rural Fire Safety and Prevention, 3/1/2006, PDF format (161kb) -
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- Fire Safety Beyond the City Limits: A Factsheet on Rural Fire Safety and Prevention, 3/1/2006, PDF format (162kb) -
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- Fire-safe Landscaping Can Save Your Home, 3/1/2006, PDF format (192kb) -
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- Rural Fire Prevention Checklist, 3/1/2006, PDF format (176kb) -
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- Wildfire … Are You Prepared? , 8/1/2004, PDF format (272kb) -
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Holiday and Seasonal Fires
- December and Holiday Fires, 12/1/2006, PDF format (1.1Mb) -
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- A Season for Sharing in Fire Safety: A Fact Sheet on Holiday Fire Safety, 3/1/2006, PDF format (149kb) -
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- The Dangers of Fireworks, 7/1/2005, PDF format (417kb) -
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- New Year's Holiday Fires, 11/1/2004, PDF format (199kb) -
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- Winter Fires: Safety Tips for the Home , 5/1/2003, PDF format (152kb) -
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- Lightning Fires, 3/1/2002, PDF format (119kb) -
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- Christmas/Christmas Tree Fires, 12/1/2001, PDF format (100kb) -
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- Halloween Fires, 12/1/2001, PDF format (99kb) -
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- Winter Storm Fire Safety, 8/1/1998, PDF format (36kb) -
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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
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