House Fire Prevention Checklist
A practical checklist to lower the risk of a house fire: cooking, heating, electrical, smoke alarms and an escape plan.
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Tell the operator your city, what happened and whether the fire department has cleared the building. You will be connected with a local provider that covers your area.
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- Give your city and ZIP code
- Say what happened and whether the fire is out
- Ask the company about its license and insurance
Quick answer
Never leave cooking unattended, keep heaters and anything flammable apart, have electrical problems fixed, test smoke alarms monthly and practice an escape plan. Cooking and heating are two of the leading causes of home fires.
Why these areas
NFPA's 2013 to 2017 data shows cooking was the leading cause of home structure fires, followed by heating equipment, electrical distribution and lighting equipment, smoking materials and candles. It also found that November through March accounted for 47 percent of home fires and 56 percent of home fire deaths.
Cooking
- Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling
- Keep towels, paper and packaging away from burners
- Clean grease from stove and vent
- Turn pot handles inward
Heating
- Keep space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn
- Plug heaters directly into the wall, not an extension cord
- Have chimneys, furnaces and wood stoves inspected and cleaned
- Turn off heaters when leaving the room or sleeping
Electrical and candles
- Replace frayed cords and avoid overloading outlets
- Have an electrician check flickering lights or warm outlets
- Keep candles in sturdy holders and blow them out before bed
Alarms and escape plan
- Install smoke alarms on every level and in every sleeping area
- Test alarms monthly and replace them when they reach the age the maker recommends
- Make a home escape plan with two ways out of every room and a meeting place outside
- Practice it with everyone in the home
Sources and further reading
- NFPA Research: Home Structure Fires (2019), via the Maine State Fire Marshal's Office
- Ready.gov: Home fires
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