According to the National Fire Protection Association,

• In 2003, 80% of fires in the United States occurred in the home, resulting in 3,925 fire deaths.
• In the U.S., someone dies from a home fire roughly every 134 minutes.
• In Canada, someone is fatally injured in a home fire roughly every 31 hours.
• Roughly half of all home fire deaths in the U.S. resulted from fires that were reported between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. But only one-quarter of home fires occur between those hours.
• Although children five and under make up about 9% of the country's population, they accounted for 17% of the home fire deaths.
• Smoking was the leading cause of home fire deaths overall, but in the months of December, January and February, smoking and heating equipment caused similar shares of fire deaths.
• Every 20 seconds, a fire department responds to a fire somewhere in the nation.

SMOKE DETECTORS
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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks from flying.
• Don't store newspapers, kindling, or matches near the fireplace or have an exposed rug or wooden floor right in front of the fireplace.
• Have your chimney inspected by a professional prior to the start of every heating season and cleaned to remove combustible creosote build-up if necessary.
• Install a chimney spark arrester to prevent roof fires.
• When lighting a gas fireplace, strike your match first, then turn on the gas.

• Install and maintain heating equipment correctly. Have your furnace inspected by a professional prior to the start of every heating season .
• Don't store newspapers, rags, or other combustible materials near a furnace, hot water heater, space heater, etc.
• Don't leave space heaters operating when you're not in the room.
• Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything that might burn, including the wall.
• Don't use extension cords with electrical space heaters. The high amount of current they require could melt the cord and start a fire.
• When lighting a gas space heater, strike your match first, then turn on the gas.
• Never use a gas range as a substitute for a furnace or space heater.

CLOTHES DRYER
Under some circumstances, dangerous heat can build up in a dryer.

• Never leave home with the clothes dryer running.
• Dryers must be vented to the outside, not into a wall or attic.
• Clean the lint screen frequently to keep the airway clear.
• Never put in synthetic fabrics, plastic, rubber, or foam because they retain heat.

• It is better not to use extension cords. If you feel you must use one, make sure that it is not frayed or worn. Do not run it under a rug or twist it around a nail or hook.
• Never overload a socket. In particular, the use of "octopus" outlets, outlet extensions that accommodate several plugs, is strongly discouraged.
• Do not use light bulb wattage which is too high for the fixture. Look for the label inside each fixture which tells the maximum wattage.
• Check periodically for loose wall receptacles, loose wires, or loose lighting fixtures. Sparking means that you've waited too long.
• Allow air space around the TV to prevent overheating. The same applies to plug-in radios and stereo sets, and to powerful lamps.
• If a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows frequently, immediately cut down on the number of appliances on that line.
• Be sure all electrical equipment bears the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label.
• In many older homes, the capacity of the wiring system has not kept pace with today's modern appliances. Overloaded electrical systems invite fire. Watch for these overload signals: dimming lights when an appliance goes on, a shrinking TV picture, slow heating appliances, or fuses blowing frequently. Call a qualified electrician to get expert help.

• 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.

• Keep lighters and matches out of the reach of children.
• Never leave children unattended with fire or space heaters.
• Children are naturally curious about fire, so keep an eye on them. But if a child repeatedly plays with fire or seems to have a morbid fascination with fire, seek professional help at once.
• If youngsters live with you or stay overnight occasionally, be sure that they know how to escape from every room and are part of your emergency exit plan. [See "Thinking Ahead" above]

• Flammable liquids should be stored only in approved safety containers, and the containers should be kept outside the house and garage in a separate storage shed.
• Gas up lawn equipment and snowthrowers outside, away from enclosed areas and any source of sparks or heat.
• Start the equipment 10 feet from where you filled it with fuel.
• Don't fill a hot lawn mower, snowthrower, or other motor; let it cool first.
• Never clean floors or do other general cleaning with gasoline or flammable liquids.

• 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.