Preventing fires in the home should be one of your top concerns.  Provided on
this page is a checklist that should be used to stop fires before they start. 
 

10 WAYS YOU CAN IMPROVE FIRE SAFETY IN YOUR HOME

Start By Making A Fire Safety Inspection of Your Home.  Once You've Finished Inspecting, Start Correcting!

1.  Smoking and drinking are a lethal combination

2.  Smoking carlessness is a leading cause of fire.  Be careful with smoking materials.

3.  Remove all materials on or near your stove that could catch fire.  These materials include paper, dish clothes, etc.  Have a fire extinguisher near the stove, and check
it regularly.

4.  Remove electrical cords from under rugs and behind radiators.  Never nail the cord to walls or moulding.

5.  Be careful with candles.  Don't leave them unattended.  Never sleep with candles burning.

6.  Dont't overload outlets and extension cords.

7.  Move flammable liquids stored near stove or other heat source to a safe, distant location

8.  Never put a portable space heater near drapes, furniture, bedding or other flammable materials.

9.  Empty ashtrays into the toilet or wet down contents before discarding.

10.  Test your smoke detectors weekly and replace batteries every time you change your clock at daylight savings time.

11.  NEVER heat cooking oil in an open pot on the stovetop!!  Oil heats to dangerous temperatures very quickly and will combust if you get
distracted and forget about it.  Purchase a CSA approved deep fat fryer
to cook fried food.  If you don't have one.....cook in the OVEN!
 

HOME SAFETY CHECK

Check your house or apartment room by room to see which of these fire hazards you can find.

Take Action to Correct Them!

Matches within easy reach of children.

Too small or too full ashtrays.  Ashtrays should be large, deep and emptied frequently, but only when all signs of heat and burning are gone.

Overloaded outlets or extension cords.

Matches and lighters within reach of young children.  Playing with matches or lighters: Small children do this frequently and so do some adults.

Curtains or towel racks close to stove.

Worn or frayed extension cords or other electrical cords run under rugs and carpets or looped over nails or other sharp objects that could cause them to fray.

Flammable liquids (cleaning fluids, contact adhesives, etc.) Or aerosols stored near the range or other heat source.  Remember, even a pilot light can set vapors on fire.  Dispose of outdated or empty cans properly.

Insufficient air space around TV and stero that could cause them to overheat and start a fire.

Frequently used items stored above the range where someone could get burned reaching for them (especially small children in search of cookies or other goodies).

Curtains, furniture or papers near a space heater

Piles of stored newspapers or other rubbish.  Newpapers stored in a damp, warm place may ignite spontaneously.

Oily, greasy rags.  If these must be stored, they should be kept in labeled, sealed, metal containers.  Flammable liquids (varnish, paint remover, paint thinner, contact adhesives, cleaning fluids) should not be stored near any open flame or pilot lights.  Dispose of empty or outdated cans properly.

Fuses of the wrong size.
 
 

Have You Seen Anyone...or have you been...

Cooking while wearing clothes with loose, floppy sleeves or full, billowing tops or skirts that may catch fire?

Reaching over a range or climbing onto a range to get something stored above it?

Attempting to extinguish a grease fire with anything but baking soda or a lid?

Using gasoline to start a fire in the grill or adding lighter fluid to an already-lit fire?

Smoking in bed, in a chair or on the sofa when tired, drinking or under medication?  Smoking while using cleaning fluid, paint thinner or other flammable liquid?

Playing with matches or lighters? 

Spraying aerosols (perfume, hair spray) while smoking or near a space heater, range or other ignition source?
 

These Actions Are Dangerous!!  Avoid them for your own safety
 

CANDLE SAFETY ALERT

Look around.  Everywhere you look these days, you see beatiful candles being used for decoration, aromatherapy and atmosphere.  When we look around, we see needless fire deaths because people left children unattended near candles, went to bed with candles burning or have placed candles too close to draperies or bedding.  Sometimes, pets have tipped them over.  We have to take candle fire safety seriously.

1.  Make sure the candle sits properly in the holder and won't fall out.

2.  Make sure the holder is on a flat surface and isn't unstable. 
3.  Never leave candles burning when you go to bed. 
4.  Never leave children unattended with candles burning 
5.  Never place candles too close to flammable material, such as draperies, bedding,      clothing and furniture. 
6.  Never spray an aerosol can (deodorant, hair spray, etc.) near an open flame.