Ten things that can save lives,
property from fire damage...Simple fire safety tips during
Annual Fire Prevention Week can save seniors, country’s most
vulnerable group to death, injury by fire
BOSTON -
October 6, 2005 -
Each year, fire kills an average of 4,200 Americans and injures another
25,000. Yet, homeowners can avert tragedy by taking steps to
eliminate common fire hazards in their home. For one week a
year, Fire Prevention Week (October 9-15, 2005) reminds us all
to turn our attention to keeping our homes - and lives - safe
from fire.
"Prevention
means taking action to remove the dangers from your home," said
Tim Sweeney, senior vice president, Personal Market, for Liberty
Mutual Group, the seventh-largest home insurer in the U.S. "Far
too many lives and homes are lost in this country because of
inattention to fire hazards."
Liberty Mutual
offers the following tips to help you get started now and
throughout the year.
1. Have working
smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test them monthly, and
change the batteries once a year. It will cut your chance of
dying in a fire by nearly half.
2. Never leave
cooking food on a stovetop unattended. Cooking fires are the
number-one cause of home fires and home fire injuries.
3. Never leave
burning candles unattended or near combustible materials. Home
fires caused by candles have nearly doubled in the past decade.
4. Replace or
repair loose or frayed cords on all electrical devices. Unsafe
electrical wiring is the cause of more than 40,000 home fires
each year.
5. Keep
portable heaters at least three feet away from all combustible
materials. Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires
in December, January and February.
6. Keep
matches, lighters and candles out of the reach of children.
Children ages five and under are twice as likely as others to
die in a fire.
7. Develop and
practice a home escape plan.
8. Only use a
fire extinguisher after all others are out of the house, and
only if you have received training on how to safely and properly
use one.
9. Alert
everyone to leave your home immediately...call 911 or your fire
department from outside, either from a cell phone or a
neighbor's house.
10. Never
re-enter a burning house to retrieve pets or personal
belongings.
