• Develop & practice a fire escape plan with your family. Establish two escape routes.
• Install smoke detectors on every level of your home & near all sleeping areas.
• Keep all lighters, matches & chemicals in a locked or high cabinet that is out reach from children.
• NEVER leave a burning candle or cigarette unattended.
• Clean lint from your dryer screen before each use. Don’t run the dryer while sleeping.
• TEACH children not to play in the kitchen. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.
• Keep all flammable materials away from your stove, fireplace or furnace.
• Do not plug in more than one appliance or extension cord into each outlet.
• Keep portable heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn.
• Place fire extinguishers near an exit on every level of your home.
• List emergency numbers near each phone in your home.

Smoke is responsible for three out of four deaths:

• Install smoke detectors on every level of your home and outside of sleeping areas.
• Test every detector at least once a month. (See your instruction book for the location of the test button.)
• Keep smoke detectors dust free. Replace batteries with new ones at least once a year, or sooner if the detector makes a chirping sound.
• If you have a smoke detector directly wired into your electrical system, be sure that the little signal light is blinking periodically. This tells you that the alarm is active.
• Inexpensive smoke detectors are available for the hearing impaired.

Careless cooking is the number one cause of residential fires.

• Never leave cooking unattended.
• It's wise to have a fire extinguisher near the kitchen. Keep it 10 feet away from the stove on the exit side of the kitchen.
• Never pour water on a grease fire; turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid, or close the oven door.
• Keep pot handles on the stove pointing to the back, and always watch young children in the kitchen.
• Don't store items on the stove top, as they could catch fire.
• Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good condition, and turn them off and disconnect them when not in use.
• Don't overload kitchen electrical outlets and don't use appliances with frayed or cracked wires.
• Wear tight-fitting clothing when you cook. Here's why: An electrical coil on the stove reaches a temperature of 800 degrees. A gas flame goes over 1,000 degrees. Your dish towel or pot holder can catch fire at 400 degrees. So can your bathrobe, apron, or loose sleeve.
• Be sure your stove is not located under a window in which curtains are hanging.
• Clean the exhaust hood and duct over the stove regularly and wipe up spilled grease as soon as the surface of the stove is cool.
• Operate your microwave only when there is food in it.

They remain your best bet if you're on the spot when a fire begins.

• Fire extinguishers should be mounted in the kitchen, garage, and workshop.
• Purchase an ABC type extinguisher for extinguishing all types of fires.
• Learn how to use your fire extinguisher before there is an emergency.
• Remember, use an extinguisher on small fires only.
• If there is a large fire, get out immediately and call 911 from another location.

As with other things, the best motto is, "Be Prepared."

• Prepare a floor plan of your home showing at least two ways out of each room.
• Sleep with your bedroom door closed. In the event of fire, it helps to hold back heat and smoke. But if a door feels hot, do not open it; escape through another door or window.
• Easy-to-use window escape ladders are available through many catalogues and outlet stores. For instance, First Alert sells one for around $90.
• Agree on a fixed location out-of-doors where family members are to gather for a head count.
• Stay together away from the fire. Call 911 from another location. Make certain that no one goes back inside the burning building.
• Check corridors and stairways to make sure they are free of obstructions and combustibles.
• To help cut down on the need for an emergency exit in the first place, clear all unnecessary items from the attic, basement, garage, and closets.

• Never smoke in bed.
• Don't smoke when you are drinking or are abnormally tired.
• Use large, deep ashtrays, and empty them frequently.
• Never dump an ashtray into the trash without wetting the butts and ashes first.