FIRE SAFETY TIPS

Make an Escape Plan

If a fire starts, you may have as few as two minutes to get to safety. Time your fire drills and know your escape time! ​Everyone in your household should know two ways to escape from each room in your home and know where to meet once you get outside.

Don't forget about escape plans while on vacation too! Check out the NFPA Hotel & Motel Safety.

Getting Out

• Plan ahead
• Never open doors that are warm to the touch
• Crawl low under smoke. Crawl on your hands and knees, not your belly!
• Exit safely! Be sure to use the proper tools (ex: fire safety ladder at a second story window)
• Go to your outside meeting place and call for help
• ​If your clothing catches fire, STOP, DROP, and ROLL

Get out fast. Do not stop to grab anything. Do not go back in!

CO and Smoke Detectors

Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors should be installed on each level of the home outside of the sleeping areas, and the batteries tested monthly. 

Causes of Fire

Click to learn more about the top causes of fire and how to prevent them:

• Candles
• Cooking
• Electrical
• Heating
• (un)Intentional

Safety Checklist, Room by Room

Kitchen

• Keep a fire extinguisher easily accessible
• Maintain stove in good operating condition
• Keep baking soda on hand to extinguish grease fires
• Move handles of pots and pans containing hot liquids away from front of stove
• Keep flammable curtains and towels away from burners
• Store matches and lighters out of reach of children
• Properly store flammable liquids in approved containers and away from ignition sources

​Bathroom

• Disconnect hot appliances such as curling irons and flatirons when done; store in safe location until cool
• Keep flammable items away from wall and floor heaters

Bedroom

• Unplug electric blankets and other electric appliances when not in use
• Keep fire extinguisher in bedrooms (if occupant is capable of using properly)
• Do not smoke in bed

Living Room/Hallway

• Install a screen on fireplace
• Store ashes from fireplace in non-combustible container and dispose of when cold
• Clean fireplace chimneys and flues at least once a year
• Make sure electrical outlets are designed to handle appliance loads
• Install child safety plugs on electrical outlets
• Replace electrical cords that do not work properly, have loose connections, or are frayed

Garage

• Mount a fire extinguisher in the garage
• Install a solid door with self-closing hinges between living area and garage
• Dispose of oily rags in metal containers
• Store all combustibles away from ignition sources
• Disconnect electrical tools and appliances when not in use
• Allow hot tools to cool before storing
• Have tools, such as a shovel, hoe, rake, and bucket, available for use in a wildfire emergency

Exterior

• Remove dead branches overhanging your roof
• Remove any tree limbs within 10 feet of your chimney
• Clean all dead leaves and needles from your roof and gutters
• Install a roof that meets fire resistance classification of "class C" or better
• Cover your chimney outlet and stovepipe with nonflammable screen of 1/2" or smaller mesh

​For more detailed fire safety tips, click here.

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Operation EDITH

Established by the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (IIANC) in the state of North Carolina in 1996, Operation EDITH is a fire-safety program that seeks to encourage the parents of young children to talk to their kids about the importance of fire safety

The cornerstone of the campaign is Exit Drill In The Home, thus the name "EDITH." The purpose of EDITH is to educate early elementary school children and their families about the life-saving value of having a fire escape plan from their home.

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