How to Make Your Home Safe from Fire

Every year, thousands of homes throughout the United States catch fire, resulting in loss of property and lives.

The following checklist can help you fireproof your home and prevent a tragedy.

General precautions

• Install at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home and one near each bedroom. Replace the batteries once a year.

• Keep fire extinguishers in the home and make sure everyone knows where they are.

• Make sure electrical cords and plugs are in good repair. Discard or replace frayed or damaged ones. Keep cords out of reach of children and don't run them underneath carpets.

• Don't overload electrical outlets.

• Be extra careful when lighting and burning candles. Place them away from curtains and decorations, use them only in holders that have sides taller than the candle, or don't use them at all.

• Take extra care if you smoke. Don't light up in bed or when sitting in overstuffed furniture, or when you're drowsy. Never leave a burning cigarette in an ashtray, and never extinguish a cigarette in a wastebasket.

• Keep lighters, matches, and candles out of children's reach.

• Leave adequate space around copy machines, printers, computers, and other heat-producing home-office equipment.

Home heating safety

• Have a heating professional check your home's furnace and water heater every year.

• Have your gas appliances—stove, grill, dryer, furnace— checked annually to make sure they're properly calibrated and running well.

• Place space heaters away from curtains, upholstered furniture, and other combustible items.

• Plug space heaters directly into wall sockets, not into extension cords.

• Unplug heaters when not in use or when you leave the room.

• Place heaters where they can't be knocked over.

• Clean fireplace hearths and chimneys annually.

• Keep a protective screen in front of the fireplace.

• Store ashes from your fireplace in a metal trash can with a tight-fitting lid.

Kitchen safety

• Keep curtains, towels, and other flammable materials away from the stove top.

• Teach your children how to safely use small appliances, such as toasters and microwaves. Don't allow children under 10 to use a microwave. Carefully instruct children 12 and older how to use the oven.

• Frequently clean the crumbs out of your toaster and toaster oven.