Beat the Heat: Fire Prevention Tips

Another thing to be careful of, especially in the case of
working in the basement because of the cold weather, is oily,
greasy, solvent or gasoline soaked rags.Never ball them up and
throw them in a trash can.They will heat up and start a fire
through spontaneous combustion.Take them outside and spread them on
a clothesline or tree branch to let them dry out.I suppose,
afterwards, you may launder them if you want to use them
again.Recommended is storing them in a metal canister (special,
usually painted red) with a spring or gravity loaded cover, to seal
out air-oxygen.Happy Holidays!

Oh, I almost forgot. Get your house heater, whether it be gas,
oil or nuclear, (he he) cleaned and serviced>before it stops
working.It will cost less than having a cold failure, freezing
pipes, plumber's costs, asphyxiation from flue problems (CO), or
fire repair costs to your house. Not to mention the expense of
living elsewhere during the repairs.Not a good thing!

The National Fire Protection Assocation recomends an annual
inspection of all wood and gas burning appliances, To make sure
that they are vented properly and that there are no obstructions.
Every yearnumerous lives are lost needlessly because of unsafe
venting systems. That is not counting thhundreds of thousands of
dollars in home damage. So,I would advise that you spend a little
money and have your venting system inspected. Besides, isn't your
family worth it?

Pretty good article but there are a few more things that should
be done:Regardless of the type of smoke alarm, test them at least
once a month by pushing the "Test" button.Smoke alarms are life
saving devices, but if the family doesn't know how to get out of
the house....Practice fire drills every six months. Talking about
how to get out is all most families do. This isn't enough! Discuss
how each person will get out and then actually go through the
steps. Practice doesn't make perfect-it makes habit. You need to
have done it before the emergency happens. For those with small
children, keep in mind that children-usually in the 2-4 year old
range-simply do not wake up easily. You need to plan to have
someone assigned to pick them up and carry them out.Sleep with
bedroom doors closed. This slows the spread of poisionous gases and
heat.Once outside, call 9-1-1 and nobody goes back in (even for the
dog) until the FD says it's OK.Kitchen safety: for a grease fire,
use a pan lid, bread board, cookie sheet, or another pan to smother
the fire-and then turn off the stove so it can cool. (Don't use
water, salt, flour, or anything else!) If you can't put the fire
out, close the door, get out and call 9-1-1.Candles: one of the
biggest causes of home fires, especially in the winter months.
Never leave the room or house with an unattended burning candle
inside.