Fire Prevention Tips

Always:

• Keep matches, lighters, and dangerous chemicals away from children.
• Store those items in safe places away from any heating appliance, open flame, furnace, or fireplace or any other heat surface.
• Have your heating systems, fire places, wood burning stoves, clothes dryers, and cooking appliances checked regularly for proper operation.
• Have your chimney properly cleaned when required and make sure the damper system is functioning properly, especially if the chimney serves an active fireplace.
• Use glass or metal fire screens when using fireplaces to stop sparks/embers from reaching combustible materials.
• Empty the lint trap on clothes dryers; excess lint buildup can lead to heat being trapped and can cause a fire.
• Check the dryer exhaust duct regularly to ensure free flow of heated air and clean out when necessary or as recommended by the manufacturer.

Never:

• Leave combustible items near fireplaces or wood burning stoves.
• Leave cooking unattended and do not place flammable items on or near the cook top surface or within the oven.
• Smoke in bed. Many residential fires are attributed to careless use of smoking materials.
• Empty ashtrays that may have smoldering ashes into the trash
• Use any heating system or appliance if it appears to be generating an unusual amount of heat; have the unit inspected before attempting to use it.
• Use flammable liquids to start or accelerate a fire in a stove or fireplace and avoid using large amounts of paper.