Community

Working smoke alarms cut the risk of fatalities in a home fire roughly in half. Install them inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home, including the basement. Test them once a month and replace any alarm that is 10 years old.

Map out two ways out of every room, pick an outside meeting spot like a mailbox or a neighbor's tree, and practice with everyone in your home at least twice a year. Once you're out, stay out and call 911.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is invisible and has no smell. Install CO alarms outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home. If the alarm sounds, get everyone outside to fresh air right away and call 911.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling or broiling, and keep towels, packaging and anything else that can burn away from the stovetop. If a pan catches fire, slide a lid over it and turn off the burner. Never use water on a grease fire.

Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from space heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves. Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet (never an extension cord) and turn them off when you leave the room or go to bed. Have your chimney and heating system inspected every year.

Every second counts. Make sure your house number is large, contrasting with its background and clearly visible from the street, day and night, so responders can find you fast. If your home is set back from the road, post the number at the end of your driveway too.

Include your pets in your home escape plan, but never go back inside a burning building for a pet. Tell firefighters right away if a pet is still inside. Put a pet alert sticker on a front window so responders know how many animals live there. Never leave pets alone near lit candles, space heaters or a hot stove, and keep leashes and carriers by the door so you can grab them fast.