Fires

After reading about and seeing the results of the fires in Maui, Hawaii, this should be a warning bell for us.

Fifty-one percent of home fires occur from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. The number one way to save your family and homes are fire alarms. When was the last time you checked the batteries in your smoke alarms? Can there be too many fire alarms in your home?

Of course, we are certainly not thinking of fires in the fireplaces with this heat, but now would be a good time to get chimneys cleaned. After years of use, creosote builds up on the walls of the chimney and is highly flammable. There are several products to help from building up creosote. Always smother a fire before going to bed, check for embers.

Another source of fires in the home is electrical cords that are frayed or cracked. Check appliances and lamps. Any electrical appliances that are not used on a daily basis should be unplugged.

Cooking is another dangerous activity. Grease fires can start quickly. Keep a tight-fitting lid close by to help extinguish the flames. There are kitchen fire extinguishers made specially for grease fires.

There are fire extinguishers made for paper fires and other types of flammable items. Keep up with the expiration date on the extinguisher.

Although we do not live in a city we do live in an area with lots of forests and in some cases layers of dead leaves and tree branches that are highly combustible. Keep these kinds of items away from your house.

Check the Red Cross website for more suggestions and for making plans for your family to safely escape a fire.