Fire Safety Tips

Danger Above: A Factsheet on High-Rise Safety

Recent fatal fires in high-rise structures have prompted Americans to rethink fire safety. A key to fire safety for those who live and work in these special structures is to practice specific high-rise fire safety and prevention behaviors.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) would like you to know there are simple fire safety steps you can take to prevent the loss of life and property in high-rise fires.

Be Prepared for a High-Rise Fire Emergency

• Never lock fire exits or doorways, halls or stairways. Fire doors provide a way out during the fire and slow the spread of fire and smoke. Never prop stairway or other fire doors open.
• Learn your building evacuation plan. Make sure everyone knows what to do if the fire alarm sounds. Plan and practice your escape plan together.
• Be sure your building manager posts evacuation plans in high traffic areas, such as lobbies.
• Learn the sound of your building’s fire alarm and post emergency numbers near all telephones.
• Know who is responsible for maintaining the fire safety systems. Make sure nothing blocks these devices and promptly report any sign of damage or malfunction to the building management.

Do Not Panic in the Event of a High-Rise Fire Emergency

• Do not assume anyone else has already called the fire department.
• Immediately call your local emergency number. Early notification of the fire department is important. The dispatcher will ask questions regarding the emergency. Stay calm and give the dispatcher the information they request.

If the Door is Warm to the Touch

Before you try to leave your apartment or office, feel the door with the back of your hand. If the door feels warm to the touch, do not attempt to open it. Stay in your apartment or office.

• Stuff the cracks around the door with towels, rags, bedding or tape and cover vents to keep smoke out.
• If there is a phone in the room where you are trapped, call the fire department again to tell them exactly where you are located. Do this even if you can see fire apparatus on the street below.
• Wait at a window and signal for help with a flashlight or by waving a sheet.
• If possible, open the window at the top and bottom, but do not break it, you may need to close the window if smoke rushes in.
• Be patient. Rescuing all the occupants of a high-rise building can take several hours.

If the Door is Not Warm to the Touch

• If you do attempt to open the door, brace your body against the door while staying low to the floor and slowly open it a crack. What you are doing is checking for the presence of smoke or fire in the hallway.
• If there is no smoke in the hallway or stairwells, follow your building’s evacuation plan.
• If you don’t hear the building’s fire alarm, pull the nearest fire alarm “pull station” while exiting the floor.
• If you encounter smoke or flames on your way out, immediately return to your apartment or office.

After a High-Rise Fire Emergency

• Once you are out of the building, STAY OUT! Do not go back inside for any reason.
• Tell the fire department if you know of anyone trapped in the building.
• Only enter when the fire department tells you it is safe to do so.

Maintain and Install Working Smoke Alarms

No matter where you live, always install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility…Fire Stops With You!

Rural Fire Safety and Prevention

A move from an urban center to a suburb or rural area requires you to rethink fire safety. First, you must be aware of special fire hazards near wooded areas. Second, geographic location may create longer response times for fire and rescue services.

If you live in the rural-urban interface, the point where homes meet combustible vegetation, you must increase your role to protect lives and property in your community beyond the city limits.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) encourages you to practice the following fire safety steps in rural areas. Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility …Fire Stops With You!

Fire Facts about Rural Living

• Once a fire starts outdoors in a rural area, it is often hard to control. Wildland firefighters are trained to protect natural resources, not homes and buildings.
• Many homes are located far from fire stations. The result is longer emergency response times. Within a matter of minutes, an entire home may be destroyed by fire.
• Limited water supply in rural areas can make fire suppression difficult.
• Homes may be secluded and surrounded by woods, dense brush and combustible vegetation that fuel fires.

Tips For Making Your Property Fire Resistant

• Keep lawns trimmed, leaves raked, and the roof and rain-gutters free from debris such as dead limbs and leaves.
• Stack firewood at least 30 feet away from your home.
• Store flammable materials, liquids and solvents in metal containers outside the home at least 30 feet away from structures and wooden fences.
• Create defensible space by thinning trees and brush within 30 feet around your home.
• Landscape your property with fire resistant plants and vegetation to prevent fire from spreading quickly.
• Post home address signs that are clearly visible from the road.
• Provide emergency vehicle access with properly constructed driveways and roadways, at least 12 feet wide with adequate turnaround space.
• Make sure water sources, such as hydrants and ponds, are accessible to the fire department.
• Burning yard waste is a fire hazard. Check with your local fire agency on a non-emergency number for fire permit requirements and restricted burning times.

Protect Your Home

• Use fire resistant, protective roofing and materials like stone, brick and metal to protect your home. Avoid using wood materials that offer the least fire protection.
• Cover all exterior vents, attics and eaves with metal mesh screens no larger than 6 millimeters.
• Install multipane windows, tempered safety glass or fireproof shutters to protect large windows from radiant heat.
• Use fire-resistant draperies for added window protection.
• Have chimneys, wood stoves and all home heating systems inspected and cleaned annually by a certified specialist.

Prepare Your Family

• Know how to contact fire emergency services in your area.
• Plan ahead. Make sure you and your family are prepared for a fire emergency.
• Develop and practice escape and evacuation plans with your family.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Consider installing the new long-life smoke alarms.

Live Safely in Your Manufactured Home: A Factsheet on Manufactured Home Safety

Fires in manufactured homes claim the lives of 345 Americans each year and injure 765 more. Many of these fires are caused by heating and electrical system malfunctions and improper storage of combustibles.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) would like consumers to know that there are simple steps you can take to prevent the loss of life and property in home fires.

The Problem

During a typical year, manufactured homes account for 17,700 fires, hundreds of deaths and $155 million in property losses. Manufactured homes have a fire death rate per 100,000 housing units 32-50 percent higher than the rate for other dwellings.
The Facts

Young children account for more than one-fifth of all fire deaths in manufactured homes. A recent study of rural fires showed that smoke alarms were less likely to be present or operating in manufactured homes.

The Cause

Electrical system malfunctions and heating fires are the leading causes of fire in manufactured homes. Together, they account for one-third of manufactured housing fires. Electrical distribution fires occur nearly twice as often in manufactured homes as in one- and two-family dwellings.

Safety Precautions

• Have a minimum of two smoke alarms installed in your home regardless of sleeping space arrangements.
• Install smoke alarms in accordance with smoke alarm manufacturer guidelines. Test your smoke alarms once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year.
• Maintain your home heating system by having it serviced at least once a year by a professional.
• Do not store combustibles or flammables near heat sources.
• Never overload outlets, extension cords or electrical circuits. If the circuit breaker trips or fuses blow, immediately call a licensed electrician to check your system.
• Have an escape plan and practice escape routes with your family.
• Space heaters need their space. Do not place portable space heaters close to drapes, clothing or other combustible materials.
• Install skirting material to keep leaves and other debris and combustible items from blowing under your manufactured home.
• When considering a new home, ask if residential sprinklers are available as an option.
• If there is a fire – get out immediately, go to a neighbor’s and notify the fire department using the 911 system or the proper local emergency number in your area.

Rural Fire Prevention Checklist

Self-reliance is the rule for fire safety for many people. If you live in an area where the local fire department is more than a few minutes away because of travel time or distance, or if you are outside the limits of the nearest town, be sure you know how to be self-reliant in a fire emergency.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) encourages you to use this fire safety checklist to help you protect yourself, your home and its surroundings from fire. Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility …Fire Stops With You!

Maintain Home Heating Systems

• Have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually by a certified specialist.
• Insulate chimneys and place spark arresters on top.
• Extend the chimney at least three feet above the roof.
• Remove branches hanging above and around the chimney.

Have A Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home.
• Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year.
• Practice fire escape and evacuation plans.
• Mark the entrance to your property with signs that are clearly visible.
• Know which local emergency services are available and have those numbers posted.
• Provide emergency vehicle access through roads and driveways at least 12 feet wide with adequate turnaround space.

Make Your Home Fire-Resistant

• Use fire-resistant and protective roofing and materials like stone, brick and metal to protect your home. Avoid using wood materials that offer the least fire protection.
• Keep roofs and eaves clear of debris.
• Cover all exterior vents, attics and eaves with metal mesh screens no larger than 6 millimeters.
• Install multipane windows, tempered safety glass or fireproof shutters to protect large windows from radiant heat.
• Use fire-resistant draperies for added window protection.
• Keep tools for fire protection nearby: 100 foot garden hose, shovel, rake, ladder and buckets.
• Make sure water sources, such as hydrants and ponds, are accessible to the fire department.

Let Your Landscape Defend Your Property

• Trim grass on a regular basis up to 100 feet surrounding your home.
• Create defensible space by thinning trees and brush within 30 feet around your home.
• Beyond 30 feet, remove dead wood, debris and low tree branches.
• Landscape your property with fire resistant plants and vegetation to prevent fire from spreading quickly.
• Stack firewood at least 30 feet away from your home and other structures.
• Store flammable materials, liquids and solvents in metal containers outside the home, at least 30 feet away from structures and wooden fences.

Follow Local Burning Laws

• Do not burn trash or other debris without proper knowledge of local burning laws, techniques and the safest times of day and year to burn.
• Before burning debris in a wooded area, make sure you notify local authorities and obtain a burning permit.
• Use an approved incinerator with a safety lid or covering with holes no larger than 3/4 inches.
• Create at least a 10 foot clearing around the incinerator before burning debris.

Wildland fires destroy hundreds of homes and acres of land every year across the country. Fire-safe landscaping is an effective tool that creates an area of defensible space between your home and flammable vegetation that protects against devastating fires.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) encourages you to keep fire safety at the forefront by learning how to landscape and maintain your property to minimize possible fire damage and slow fires if they start. Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility… Fire Stops With You!

Defensible Space Works

During the 2003 raging California fires, a number of homes were saved as a result of the owners’ careful pruning and landscaping techniques that protected their homes. In a fire situation, the dead trees and shrubs surrounding your home act as fuel for fire. Removing flammable vegetation reduces the threat of fire. Follow these basic rules to create defensible space that works.

• Remove all dead plants, trees and shrubs from the site.
• Reduce excess leaves, plant parts and low-hanging branches.
• Replace dense flammable plants with fire-resistant plants.
• The choice of plants, spacing and maintenance are crucial elements in any defensible space landscaping plan.

Tips for a Fire-safe Landscape

• Create a defensible space perimeter by thinning trees and brush within 30 feet around your home.
• Beyond 30 feet, remove dead wood, debris and low tree branches.
• Eliminate small trees and plants growing under trees. They allow ground fires to jump into tree crowns.
• Space trees 30 feet apart and prune to a height of 8 to 10 feet.
• Place shrubs at least 20 feet from any structures and prune regularly.
• Plant the most drought-tolerant vegetation within three feet of your home and adjacent to structures to prevent ignition.
• Provide at least a 10 to 15 foot separation between islands of shrubs and plant groups to effectively break-up continuity of vegetation.
• Landscape your property with fire-resistant plants and vegetation to prevent fire from spreading quickly.

Choose Fire Resistant Materials

• Check your local nursery or county extension service for advice on fire resistant plants that are suited for your environment.
• Create fire-safe zones with stone walls, patios, swimming pools, decks and roadways.
• Use rock, mulch, flower beds and gardens as ground cover for bare spaces and as effective firebreaks.
• There are no “fire-proof” plants. Select high moisture plants that grow close to the ground and have a low sap or resin content.
• Choose plant species that resist ignition such as rockrose, iceplant and aloe.
• Fire-resistant shrubs include hedging roses, bush honeysuckles, currant, cotoneaster, sumac and shrub apples.
• Plant hardwood, maple, poplar and cherry trees that are less flammable than pine, fir and other conifers.

Maintain Your Home and Surrounding Property

• Maintain a well-pruned and watered landscape to serve as a green belt and protection against fire.
• Keep plants green during the dry season and use supplemental irrigation, if necessary.
• Trim grass on a regular basis up to 100 feet surrounding your home.
• Stack firewood at least 30 feet from your home.
• Store flammable materials, liquids and solvents in metal containers outside the home at least 30 feet away from structures and wooden fences.
• No matter where you live, always install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Consider installing the new long-life smoke alarms.

More than 4,000 Americans die each year in fires, and approximately 20,000 are injured. Security bars may help keep your family safe from intruders, but they can also trap you in a deadly fire! The United States Fire Administration (USFA) encourages individuals to use the following tips to help reduce the number of fire injuries and deaths associated with security bars on windows and doors preventing fire escape.

Use Quick Release Devices On Barred Windows and Doors

Windows and doors with security bars should have quick release devices to allow them to be opened immediately in an emergency. These devices operate from inside and allow the bars to be opened for emergency escape without compromising the security of your home. The quick release devices should be easy to open without the use of a key, detailed knowledge or great physical effort. Release devices vary by region and manufacturer. Contact your local fire department on a non-emergency number for information on approved release devices available in your area.

Consider Retrofitting Current Security Bars

Security bars on windows and locked doors prevent escape from fire and also impede firefighters’ rescue attempts. If the security bars in your home are permanently fixed or do not have quick release devices, they should be retrofitted with release devices.

Be Aware Of Security Bar Issues When Practicing Fire Escape Routes

Know and practice fire escape plans monthly, and use them to identify and correct obstructions of windows and doors needed for escape from a deadly fire. Make sure that windows are not stuck, screens can be taken out quickly and that security bars can be properly opened.

It is important that everyone in the family understands and practices how to properly operate locked or barred windows and doors. Windows should open easily and be wide enough to allow escape, and locked or barred doors should operate quickly and easily.

Plan Two Exits Out Of Each Room

The best escape plans have two ways to get out of each room. If the primary exit is blocked by fire or smoke, you will need a second way out. A secondary route might be a window onto an adjacent roof or a collapsible ladder for escape from upper story windows. Purchase only collapsible ladders evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL).

Designate A Meeting Place Outside and Take Attendance

Designate a meeting location away from the home, but not necessarily across the street. For example, meet under a specific tree, at the end of the driveway, or on the front sidewalk to make sure everyone has gotten out safely. Designate one person to go to a neighbor’s home to phone the fire department.

Once Out, Stay Out

Remember to escape first, then notify the fire department using the 911 system or proper local emergency number in your area. Never go back into a burning building for any reason. Teach children not to hide from firefighters.

Finally, having working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home dramatically increases your chances of survival. Smoke alarm batteries need to be tested every month and changed with new ones at least once a year. Also, consider replacing the entire smoke alarm every ten years, or as the manufacturer guidelines recommend.

In spite of recent news events about children sleeping through them, smoke alarms and home escape planning are still a vital part of survival from fire. Smoke alarms have been and still are the cornerstone of fire safety technology in the home.

Statistics point to a fifty percent reduction in fire fatalities since the introduction of smoke alarms into the home. Although 90% of all residences have smoke alarms today, no smoke alarms were present in 42% of residential structure fires where fatalities occurred. Smoke alarms were present in 58% of fatal residential structure fires, but only operational in 37% of those fatal fires. That means that most often where smoke alarms are present in a fatal fire, the smoke alarm is nonfunctional due to dead or missing batteries.

However, the recent news events remind us of the need to continue research in fire safety and seek to improve on successful technologies such as smoke alarms. The USFA has recognized the need for a vigorous and timely exchange of information between the nation’s fire safety stakeholders. It is important that the USFA and its fellow fire safety related organizations share information in order to analyze and disseminate appropriate and accurate information to the public and fire safety education specialists throughout the United States.

USFA and its partners are currently reviewing existing literature and studies from both foreign and domestic sources. USFA is also looking to identify and support relevant testing groups on this issue. Partners, such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL), are currently reviewing criteria for establishing such testing.

What is imperative at the moment is for our citizens to understand the need not to rely solely on smoke alarms as the entire answer to escaping from fire. These recent news events serve to reinforce the need for home escape planning. Smoke alarms are a tool in the planning process. Parents need to clearly understand their supporting roles in the escape plan. After going over the plan with your family, you should conduct a walkthrough of the plan. When you feel comfortable with your plan, hold a fire drill at night (activate your alarm) while your children are sleeping so that you and they can determine the appropriate response to a smoke alarm.

Smoke alarms and automatic sprinklers do save lives but they are just tools in the home escape process. We will continue to conduct research and promote new fire safety technologies but families need to remember that while technology is an integral part of the process, the maintenance of that technology (e.g. regular testing, replacing batteries, etc.) and incorporating planning and participation in their use will be the key to saving lives.

Curious Kids Set Fires

Every day Americans experience the tragedy of fire. Each year more than 4,000 Americans die in fires and approximately 20,000 are injured. Figures show that each year about 150 people are killed and $200 million in property is destroyed in fires attributed to children playing with fire.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) encourages parents to teach children at an early age about the dangers of fireplay in an effort to prevent child injuries, fire deaths and firesetting behavior in the future. Below are some facts about children and fire safety.

Curious Kids Set Fires

Children under five are curious about fire. Often what begins as a natural exploration of the unknown can lead to tragedy.

• Children of all ages set over 35,000 fires annually. Approximately 8,000 of those fires are set in homes.
• Children make up 15-20% of all fire deaths.
• At home, children usually play with fire in bedrooms, in closets and under beds. These are “secret” places where there are a lot of things that catch fire easily.
• Too often, child firesetters are not given proper guidance and supervision by parents and teachers. Consequently, they repeat their firesetting behavior.

Practice Fire Safety in Your Home

• Supervise young children closely. Do not leave them alone even for short periods of time.
• Keep matches and lighters in a secured drawer or cabinet.
• Have your children tell you when they find matches and lighters.
• Check under beds and in closets for burned matches, evidence your child may be playing with fire.
• Develop a home fire escape plan, practice it with your children and designate a meeting place outside.
• Take the mystery out of fire play by teaching children that fire is a tool, not a toy.
• Teach children the nature of fire. It is FAST, HOT, DARK and DEADLY!
• Teach children not to hide from firefighters, but to get out quickly and call for help from another location.
• Show children how to crawl low on the floor, below the smoke, to get out of the house and stay out in the case of fire.
• Demonstrate how to stop, drop to the ground and roll if their clothes catch fire.
• Install smoke alarms on every level in your home.
• Familiarize children with the sound of your smoke alarm.
• Test the smoke alarm each month and replace the battery at least once a year.
• Replace the smoke alarm every ten years, or as recommended by the manufacturer.

Finally, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire. And remember to practice a home escape plan frequently with your family.

Fire Safety Lasts a Lifetime

People over the age of 65 face the greatest risk of dying in a fire. On average, over 1,000 Americans age 65 and over die in home fires and 2,000 are injured in fire-related incidences.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) wants older adults, their caregivers and all Americans to know that there are special precautions you can take to protect yourself and your home from fire.

Understanding the Risk

Why are Older Adults at Risk?

• Decreased mobility, health, sight, and hearing may limit a person’s ability to take the quick action necessary to escape during a fire emergency.
• Depending on physical limitations, many of the actions an individual can take to protect themselves from the dangers of fire may require help from a caregiver, neighbor, or outside source.

Install and Maintain Smoke Alarms

• Make sure smoke alarms are installed on each level of your home and outside all sleeping areas.
• Test them monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year.
• Caregivers are encouraged to check the smoke alarms of those who are unable to do it themselves. The chances of surviving a home fire almost doubles with the initial warning from a smoke alarm.

Plan Your Escape

Planning fire escape plans around one’s capabilities is a key element to fire safety!

• Know at least two exits from every room.
• If you use a walker or wheelchair, check all exits to be sure they can go through the doorways.
• Make any necessary accommodations, such as providing exit ramps and widening doorways to facilitate an emergency escape.
• Unless instructed by the fire department, never use an elevator during a fire.

Don’t Isolate Yourself

• Speak to your family members, building manager, or neighbors about your fire safety plan and practice it with them.
• Contact your local fire department’s non-emergency line and explain your special needs.
• The fire department will probably suggest escape plan ideas and may perform a home fire safety inspection and offer suggestions about smoke alarm placement and maintenance.
• Ask emergency providers to keep your special needs information on file.

Live Near an Exit

• Although you have the legal right to live where you choose, you’ll be safest on the ground floor if you live in an apartment building.
• If you live in a multi-story home, arrange to sleep on the ground floor, and near and exit.

Be Fire-Safe Around the Home

The leading cause of residential fire deaths among older adults is careless smoking.

• If you must smoke, never smoke in bed or near an oxygen source, gas stove, or other flammable object.
• When cooking, never approach an open flame while wearing loose clothing and don’t leave cooking unattended. Use a timer to remind you of food in the oven.
• Don’t overload electrical outlets or extension cords.
• Never use the oven to heat your home. Properly maintain chimneys and space heaters.
• Take special precaution if you are on medication that makes you drowsy.

Know Your Abilities

Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility …Fire Stops With You!

Let’s Retire Fire

The facts speak for themselves: Americans over the age of 65 are one of the groups at greatest risk of dying in a fire. On average, more than 1,000 Americans age 65 and over die in fires. People over the age of 85 die in fires at a rate five times higher than the rest of the population. However, there are a number of precautionary steps older Americans can take to dramatically reduce their chances of becoming a fire casualty.

Understanding the Risks

Why Are Older People at Risk?

Older Americans are at risk for fire death and injuries for a number of reasons:

• They may be less able to take the quick action necessary in a fire emergency.
• They may be on medication that affects their ability to make quick decisions.
• Many older people live alone and when accidents happen others may not be around to help.

What Fire Hazards Affect Older People?

• Cooking accidents are the leading cause of fire related injuries for older Americans. The kitchen is one of the most active and potentially dangerous rooms in the home.
• The unsafe use of smoking materials is the leading cause of fire deaths among older Americans.
• Heating equipment is responsible for a big share of fires in seniors’ homes. Extra caution should be used with alternate heaters such as wood stoves or electric space heaters.
• Faulty wiring is another major cause of fires affecting the elderly. Older homes can have serious wiring problems, ranging from old appliances with bad wiring to overloaded sockets.

Safety Tips for Older Americans

• Kitchen Fires. Most kitchen fires occur because food is left unattended on the stove or in the oven. If you must leave the kitchen while cooking, take a spoon or potholder with you to remind you to return to the kitchen. Never cook with loose, dangling sleeves that can ignite easily. Heat cooking oils gradually and use extra caution when deep-frying. If a fire breaks out in a pan, put a lid on the pan. Never throw water on a grease fire. Never use a range or stove to heat your home.
• Space Heaters. Buy only heaters evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Use only the manufacturer’s recommended fuel for each heater. Do not use electric space heaters in the bathroom or around other wet areas. Do not dry or store objects on top of your heater. Keep combustibles away from heat sources.
• Smoking. Don’t leave smoking materials unattended. Use “safety ashtrays” with wide lips. Empty all ashtrays into the toilet or a metal container every night before going to bed. Never smoke in bed.

Finally, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire. And remember to practice a home escape plan frequently with your family.