Fire Safety Information

Why are smoke detectors important? Because smoke detectors can be your best protection against surviving a fire in your home. Approximately 5,000 Americans die from home fires each year! smoke detectors could probably have saved many of these lives. Most deaths from home fires occur from inhaling toxic smoke or poisonous gases, not from flames. In residential homes most fires happen between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., when the residents are more likely to be asleep.

Where do I buy them, and where do I put them? Smoke detectors can be purchased at almost any hardware, retail and even supermarkets. Check for a testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory (U.L). Make sure the detector alarm is loud enough to wake you and your family if you were to be asleep. Check to see if the detector will emit a warning signal when the battery is getting low, and that the battery can be easily replaced. Smoke detectors should be placed on every floor of your home. You should place a detector at the top and bottom of every stair case in the house, and also outside every sleeping area. Most houses will only need three to four detectors to achieve proper coverage.

After you install your smoke detectors don't forget them, they need to be maintained. Vacuum your smoke detectors at least twice a month to remove any dust or insects that may have entered it. Also don't forget to change your batteries every six months. An easy way to remember this is to change your batteries when you change your clocks from Daylight savings time to eastern standard and then when you change back again

Be prepared, plan to act now, so you will be ready in case of a fire. Have an escape plan and practice it with your whole family. Know two ways out of every room so you won't become trapped in a fire. Bedroom doors should be closed when you are sleeping to prevent smoke and fire from entering your room while you are asleep. If you have a fire in your home GET OUT and STAY OUT. Do not go back in for any reason. Call the Fire Department from a neighbor's house. If you live in Hamilton or Wenham just dial 911. If you do not live in Hamilton or Wenham look for the Fire Department's number in the front cover of your telephone directory.

Did you know that Carbon Monoxide Detectors are also helpful? You can find out more about them here.

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Don’t leave cooking unattended. The leading cause of home cooking fires and injuries is unattended cooking. If you leave the kitchen turn off the heat!

Dress appropriately for cooking. Wear short or tight-fitting sleeves when cooking and use caution when working near heat sources. Do not get in the habit of reaching or leaning over the stove. Remember: Dress for fire safety success.

Turn handles inward so pots and pans won’t be pulled or knocked off the stove. Take precautions and turn the handles away from danger.

Keep the stove-top free and clear. Don’t let food or grease build up and don’t store combustibles like pot holders and wooden utensils on top. Remember: Use the stove tops for cooking only, not for storage.

Monitor hot oil carefully and heat slowly. Guard against splattering grease. know what to do in case of a grease fire.

Use caution with electrical appliances. Do not plug to many devices into one outlet and do not overload extension cords. Have appliances with frayed or cracked cords repaired before using. Be extra careful when working around water. Never stand in or near water when using electrical appliances.

Keep all appliances clean. Spilled food could ignite and cause a fire.

Turn off or unplug all appliances after using.

Never use an "outdoor" type grill indoors! (Get more information on outdoor grills here.)

HERE’S WHAT TO DO IF A FIRE STARTS:

If a pan fire starts on the stove-top, carefully slide a lid or larger pan over the fire then turn off the burner. Never pour water on a grease fire.

If a pan fire starts inside the oven, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to suffocate the flames. Call the fire department if the fire does not go out immediately.

If the fire starts inside your microwave, keep the door shut and push the stop button. Keep the door closed until the fire goes out. If the fire does not immediately go out call the fire department.

If your clothing catches fire, do not run. Stop, Drop and Roll over and over to smother the flames. Cover your face with your hands if you can. Here's how.

If you experience a burn while cooking, run cool, not cold water over the burn for ten to fifteen minutes. Do not place butter or any other ointment on the burn as this keeps the heat in and could further damage the skin. Severe burns should be treated at the local hospital.

If you keep a fire extinguisher on hand and plan to use them in the event of a fire, be sure you know what type to buy and how to properly use them. If you need help in selecting a fire extinguisher contact your local fire department.

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Cold weather is upon us again and like many other people you may be using fireplaces and wood stoves for the first time. BUT ARE THEY SAFE? Here are a few tips to assure a safe and warm winter in your home.

First have your chimneys inspected by a chimney sweep to see if there is excess creosote. When wood burns, the combustion process is never complete. The smoke usually contains a substance called creosote that is dark brown or black and has an unpleasant odor. When the stove pipe or chimney flue temperature drops below 250F, creosote will accumulate on the surfaces of the pipe or chimney. At very low temperatures, below 150F, the creosote deposit is quite fluid. As these deposits are warmed, they coagulate and form a sticky tar-like substance that, when very hot, will ignite causing a chimney fire and the danger of having your home catch on fire also. So now you can see the importance of having a clean flue pipe and/or chimney.

I'm sure the next question on everyone's mind now is what to do when my chimney is on fire. First you have to know when you have a chimney fire. The easiest way to detect a chimney fire is just to listen. Some people say a chimney fire sounds like a freight train driving through your home. The second way to find out if you have a fire in the chimney is to look at the top of the pipe or chimney and see if sparks or flying embers are blowing out the top.

OK now we now what to look for and next is what to do in case of a chimney fire. The first thing you should do is call the Fire Department. If you live in Hamilton or Wenham just dial 911. If you do not live in Hamilton or Wenham look for the Fire Department's number in the front cover of your telephone directory. Secondly close all openings and draft controls on the stove, if you have a fire place and the fire is still burning in the fire box do not close the damper, for this as you will quickly see, will fill your house up with smoke! And finally get out of the house and wait for the Fire Department, do not go back in for any reason.

Fireplaces and Wood Stoves can be safe and enjoyable ways to add heat to your home. However, other appliances may not be! Never use an "unvented" fuel burning heater indoors! In Massachusetts, such kerosene and propane heaters are illegal to use inside places where people live because of the deadly carbon monoxide gas that they produce. Stay safe, as well as warm, this winter!!

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