Fire safety tips to use at home

Smoke alarms on every level of your home

At minimum, you should have one smoke alarm per level of your home. For the best protection, have one alarm in each room. Ultimately, smoke alarms are cheap and offer a great line of defense. If possible, hook them up to your home security system for instant emergency response.

Stage fire drills

Why do schools have fire drills? Without practice, people — especially children — are likely to panic in the face of an emergency. The goal is to ensure everyone knows the best possible escape route from all locations within the home. Go over the right routes to take based on the various rooms of your home and point out where tools — such as ladders and items to break windows — are located.

Know your fire hazards

Anything with a flame or that generates heat is a fire hazard, including all electrical items. You should plan your home around these hazards. Some examples include:

• Keep anything with an open flame at least three feet away from any potentially flammable items. These include towels, drapes, shrubs, bushes and furniture.
• Place space heaters with a three-foot diameter of clearance around them.
• Have chimneys, fireplaces, wood stoves and furnaces serviced at least once a year.
• Store gasoline and other flammable liquids in a garage or shed away from the main home.
• Keep all flammable products properly sealed.
• Never smoke when feeling tired or in bed.
• Never leave the stove or oven unattended.
• Never leave burning candles unattended.

Have fire extinguishers on hand

Not every extinguisher is suited for every type of fire. You will need either ABC extinguishers (rated for all types of fires) or at least two types of extinguishers on each floor of your home. Keep in mind that extinguishers expire and should be replaced or serviced on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, not every fire is preventable. To make certain you are covered in the case of a fire, speak with your insurance broker.