It’s Super Bowl Weekend and I’m thinking Fire Safety!

It is Super Bowl weekend. Our house, like millions others will be busy with the festivities. The smell of chili, salsa, beer & chips… all ground into the carpet no less! Good times! 🙂

In addition to the fun, we will be doing something else this weekend. Certainely not as exciting, but definitely more important!  We will be changing out all the batteries in our smoke detectors.  This is annual event and a critical one to keeping our family safe!  Unfortuantely, I was reminded of the need recently as one of my smoke detectors decided to tell me the battery was low at 2 a.m. in the morning. Nothing can shake a good nights sleep like the chirping of a smoke detector! 

Since we are talking smoke detectors, it got me thinking about Fire Safety too. My business associate Julian Torres with Farmers Insurance gave me a great checklist that I thought I would share with you.

   
Fire Hazard Checklist:

Living Room
___Open the flue or damper before starting a fire in your fireplace.
___Keep all flammables at least three feet away from the fireplace.
___Place a sturdy fireplace screen in front of the fireplace.
___Have your chimney cleaned and inspected by a professional at least once a year.
___Keep candles and lamps at least one foot away from your curtains.
___Use safety caps to cover all unused outlets.
___Use large, deep ashtrays. Never leave a burning cigarette unattended.

Bedroom
___Never leave candles unattended in your bedroom.
___Keep all lamps free of flammable materials.
___Don’t run electrical cords under rugs.
___Replace and repair loose or frayed electrical cords.
___Don‘t allow permanent use of extension cords.
___Don’t staple or nail electrical cords.
___Never smoke in bed.
___Never leave heavy objects on the bed when an electric blanket is in use.
___Install a carbon monoxide alarm near bedrooms.

Bathroom
___Don’t overload outlets with cords from too many appliances. Plug them in one at a time.
___If an outlet or switch feels unusually warm, stop using it and call an electrician.
___Never set hot appliances on flammable materials.
___Unplug all appliances when done using them.
___Make sure cords from appliances are not getting pinched in drawers.
___Keep towels and other flammables at least three feet away from space heaters.

Hallway
___Install ceiling-mounted smoke alarms that are at least four inches away from the walls on every level of your home.
___Ensure smoke alarms are UL listed.
___Wall-mounted smoke alarms should be installed four to 12 inches away from the ceiling.
___Test your smoke alarms once a month.
___Vacuum your smoke alarms every six months.
___Change your smoke alarm batteries at least once a year. Make sure batteries are always in smoke alarms.

Kitchen
___If you have a fire extinguisher, be sure you are properly trained to use it.
___Make sure the fire extinguisher is for multipurpose use.
___Keep the fire extinguisher in a place where it is easy to access.
___Never leave anything on the stove or under the broiler unattended.
___Keep the cooking area clear of items that can burn.
___Maintain a three foot kid free and pet free zone around the stove.
___Avoid wearing loose fitting clothing while you are cooking.

Basement
___Have your heating system serviced once a year before the cold weather begins.
___When buying a new unit, have a qualified technician install it or check that it was installed properly.
___Choose a heating device with an automatic shutoff feature.
___Make sure your clothes dryer is installed and serviced by a professional.
___Have a gas powered dryer inspected by a professional at least once a year to check flexible gas lines for damage and proper connection, and to ensure all piping is free of leaks.
___Keep areas around heating sources clear of debris and insulated from the heating source.
___Be sure to clean the lint tray in your dryer before each use and check around the drum for any accumulated lint.
___Have a professional clean the inside of your dryer every one to three years.
___Do not store clothing or other combustibles any closer than one foot from the dryer.
___Do not let your dryer continue running when you leave your home.

Outdoors
___Keep your grill at least three feet away from your home.
___If you live in a place where it snows, remember to keep all exhaust vents from your home clear and shovel out hydrants near your home.
___Develop and practice a home evacuation plan.
___Make sure every family member knows two ways out of each room in your home.
___Practice escaping, staying low to the ground and not opening doors that are hot to the touch.
___Assign a family member to assist anyone with a mobility issue.
___Choose a place outside your home for all family members to meet. Get out of the home first and the call the fire department from a neighbor’s phone. Make sure everyone knows not to return inside the home.

If you have not had your insurance policy reviewed in a while or you are looking for a change, call Julian Torres with Farmers Insurance at 206-679-6589 or jtorres1@farmersagent.com

Posted By:
Tony Meier
Eastside & Seattle Realtor
EastsideHomesBlog.com
EastsideHomes.com
Seattle’s Eastside Real Estate Resource
tony@eastsidehomes.com